The Avalanche showed no rust off a long layoff, but the Golden Knights took advantage of some iffy goaltending by Scott Wedgewood, building a 3-0 lead en route to a 4-2 win, taking Game 1 of the Western Conference final at Ball Arena in Denver.
Vegas' Pavel Dorofeyev scored his NHL-best 10th goal of the playoffs, and teammate Brett Howden is right behind, scoring his ninth — his sixth straight road game with a goal. The Avs tilted the ice in the final half of the game and got within one on goals from Valeri Nichushkin — a between the legs beauty — and a power-play goal by Gabriel Landeskog at 17:39, but they could not get the equalizer with the goalie pulled.
Carter Hart made 36 saves to earn the victory. Game 2 is Friday.
My take: Wedgewood would definitely like the first goal back and likely the second. Hart was sharp throughout. That was the difference.
THE ASYLUM
Vegas takes Game 1
The Avalanche showed no rust off a long layoff, but the Golden Knights took advantage of some iffy goaltending by Scott Wedgewood, building a 3-0 lead en route to a 4-2 win, taking Game 1 of the Western Conference final at Ball Arena in Denver.
Vegas' Pavel Dorofeyev scored his NHL-best 10th goal of the playoffs, and teammate Brett Howden is right behind, scoring his ninth — his sixth straight road game with a goal. The Avs tilted the ice in the final half of the game and got within one on goals from Valeri Nichushkin — a between the legs beauty — and a power-play goal by Gabriel Landeskog at 17:39, but they could not get the equalizer with the goalie pulled.
Carter Hart made 36 saves to earn the victory. Game 2 is Friday.
My take: Wedgewood would definitely like the first goal back and likely the second. Hart was sharp throughout. That was the difference.
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