Avalanche Aim to Continue Offensive Onslaught in Game Two Against Golden Knights

Wed, Jun 2, 2021
By Jim Vassallo (Veri.bet Writer)

The Colorado Avalanche host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, June 2, at 10 PM ET at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

Colorado has a 1-0 lead in the series after picking up a 7-1 win at home in game one on Sunday, May 30.

The Avalanche built a 5-0 lead before the Golden Knights could put a puck into the net. 

Both teams combined for 74 penalty minutes as multiple fights broke out during the contest. There were four, 10-minute misconduct calls in the third period and Vegas’ Ryan Reaves was issued a match penalty for his attempt to injure an opposing player.

“I don’t think you can call that physicality to be honest with you,” Gabriel Landeskog said. Landeskog scored twice for Colorado. “Reaves is on a mission to hurt somebody in the third and that’s what he goes out and does. I’m sure the league will take a look at it, intent to injure.”

Nathan MacKinnon buried two goals for Colorado, who also received goals from Cale Makar, Brandon Saad, and Mikko Rantanen. 

Colorado was well rested after sitting for a week following a sweep of the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

“Everyone took it serious, the break. Wasn’t a vacation,” MacKinnon said. “Everyone was ready to go and we had a great start.”

The lone goal of the game for Vegas was scored by William Karlsson. After starting all seven games of their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, Marc-Andre Fleury was not in net in game one for Vegas.

“Playoffs are about having short memories and getting ready for the next one," Vegas coach Pete DeBoer said. "The bottom line was we weren’t good enough tonight. They were very good.”

The Golden Knights were assessed 44 penalty minutes, while the Avalanche were assessed 30 penalty minutes.

“We knew they were going to play physical and had to be ready for it," Makar said. “It might happen in the next game, but we’ll be ready for it.”

Each team picked up four wins against the other during the regular season, so the game one result might have been a mirage.

“It’s going to be a heck of a matchup and a heck of a series, that’s for sure,” Vegas forward Alex Tuch said.

The teams also finished the regular season tied with the most points in the league, but Colorado took home the President’s Trophy due to a tiebreaker over Vegas, which was more wins in regulation. Doing so gives Colorado home-ice advantage throughout the entire NHL postseason.

The Avalanche are favored in game two with a -1.5 puck line and a -190 money line. With such a dominating effort in game one, don’t expect Colorado to slow down on offense in game two. Your money is best spent betting on the Avalanche as they secure a 2-0 series lead over the Golden Knights on Wednesday.