Golden Knights Have Been Matching Colorado’s Offensive Firepower, Must Continue With Both Teams Missing Stars

This postseason, the Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche are each 2-0 in closeout games. Oddly enough, three out of the four clinching games ended in 5-1 victories, spotlighting both rosters’ ability to close out a series in dominant fashion.

It’s unlikely that the conference finals will play out as easily for either club. Each lineup has an explosive offense and is allowing less than three goals per game. Vegas may have been rewarded with an easier route to the Western Conference Final, but both rosters are in the same position with nearly the same amount of rest.

Conference Final Top Scorers

• Mitch Marner – 1.50 PPG
• Nathan MacKinnon – 1.44 PPG
• Jack Eichel – 1.25 PPG
• Martin Necas – 1.22 PPG
• Pavel Dorofeyev – 0.92 PPG
• Gabriel Landeskog – 0.89 PPG
• Devon Toews – 0.89 PPG
• Brett Howden – 0.83 PPG

Altogether, Vegas is averaging 4.5 points a game from their top playmakers. Not only are the Golden Knights competing with the Avalanche’s top producers, but they’re actually a few notches better so far. Three of the top four goal scorers in the postseason are in VGK’s top six, and Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are first and third in most postseason assists.

The Golden Knights have outscored their opponents by 13 goals in the playoffs. Closely enough, the Avalanche are +14 in postseason goal differential. As for the final 40 minutes, Colorado and Vegas have 28 goals apiece in the 2nd and 3rd periods. No one is doubting the offensive abilities of each team.

VGK & COL Postseason Goals By Strength

• VGK 5v5 – 25 (2.08 EV/GP)
• COL 5v5 – 23 (2.58 EV/GP)
• VGK PP – 9 (0.75 PP/GP)
• COL PP – 6 (0.66 PP/GP)
• VGK SH – 4 (0.33 SH/GP)
• COL SH – 1 (0.11 SH/GP)

The challenge for the Golden Knights could be keeping up with the Avalanche at even strength. Colorado leads the playoffs with 2.55 EV goals per game. Meanwhile, Vegas relies a little more on their power play. It’s not too significant, but the Golden Knights enter the series with more penalties taken than drawn per game (46-48).

Vegas fans know this series will be more difficult than the first two. Everyone knows how dominant Nathan MacKinnon can be, and the public is becoming more aware of the high-level skill Martin Necas brings to the series. Quietly, though, there’s one Avs skater that Golden Knights fans are truly afraid of.

Obviously, it would be great to have him out here. You can’t replace him, and we’re going to miss him out there. Yeah, hopefully we can still get it done without him. -Sam Malinski, COL defenseman

Makar has been ruled out for Game 1 by head coach Jared Bednar. He says the team is optimistic Makar will play in the series, however. It’s been two weeks since Colorado’s star defenseman Cale Makar last picked up a point. In the Avalanche’s closeout game against Minnesota, Makar had no shots on net. The superstar defenseman has a career 1.02 points per playoff game, but this season he’s submarined down to 0.44 points per game.

The 2022 Conn Smythe winner being out offsets the loss of captain Mark Stone for the Golden Knights.

Everyone is expecting a close series and the health and effectiveness of the players currently sidelined could end up being the difference.