What was supposed to be a promising matchup turned into an ugly sideshow, as the Colorado Avalanche asserted their dominance and embarrassed the Vegas Golden Knights. The 7-1 drubbing was the Golden Knights’ worst loss of the season and drained the momentum gained from their Game 7 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
Each game has its storylines and this one was no different. Instead of recapping the whole game, let’s take a look at the big moments and factors that got us to where we are today.
The Avalanche’s Speed and Agility
Although they were on the wrong side of a 7-1 decision, the Vegas Golden Knights’ defense didn’t play as terribly as the score would suggest. Colorado has an uncanny ability to open up passing lanes, when there is nothing readily available to them. That in turn, makes the defense look bad, when they actually make the correct initial read a majority of the time.
There were a countless number of times the Avalanche entered the zone and had nothing, due to the great spacing and gap control of the VGK. What makes Colorado dangerous is that they won’t force a play and risk the turnover. They either slowed the play down until something opened up or they’d use their agility to stop dead and work around the defense. They’re the best team in the league at using their speed effectively and it was on display last night.
Wingers carrying the puck down the half boards feasted on aggressive plays, stopping and changing the entire direction of their attack. Passing lanes opened for them and they didn’t miss. The Golden Knights are now tasked with finding a way to defend without overextending themselves. They MUST keep the Avalanche to the outside, while still clogging those lanes.
Turnovers
Another area where this game could be won is in the neutral zone. The Avalanche do a great job of clogging up the neutral zone and making life hard on the Golden Knights. Alex Tuch remained the only player on the visiting team who can make a clean entry into the opponent’s zone.
Shorter, crisper passes are needed on the Vegas breakout. The Whitecloud - Hague pair did a good job turning defense into offense, but the other two pairs seemed to struggle getting the puck out of their own end. Saddling the best puck-moving defenseman in Shea Theodore with Nick Holden can and IS problematic. Brayden McNabb’s absence (injury) is sorely felt. In last night’s game, half of the goals were the direct result of a turnover.
Colorado’s Goals
How did the Avalanche manage to light the lamp seven times? What went wrong? Do we blame Lehner, click-style? Glad you asked....
Goal #1: Mikko Rantanen (backhand), assisted by Toews, Makar
Colorado’s first goal, which was a tad soft for a goalie of Robin Lehner’s caliber, was a direct result of a Jonathan Marchessault turnover. His pass was stolen during a VGK 3-on-2, by Deveon Toews. Toews turned up ice, with Theodore caught deep on the rush and found Mikko Rantanen. The top-line winger then buried a wicked backhand from the top of the faceoff circle.
How to avoid it: First, make.a better pass/read if you’re Marchessault. A top-six winger needs to be productive and he’s been largely ineffective.
Second, pressure Rantanen. He’s one of the best three players on the team. When he has the puck, you’re in danger. Don’t let him possess the puck.
Last, Nic Roy let Rantanen get behind him and have an angle to shoot from. I wouldn’t crucify the forward for his defensive coverage against a 3-on-2 with his forwards and Theodore drifting back into the frame.
Goal #2: Gabriel Landeskog, assisted by Makar, Girard
The Avalanche captain scored on the back door after a wonderful cross-ice pass from Makar. Caught scrambling, the Golden Knights were beat after being unable to win puck battles. Landeskog started the sequence retrieving the puck, passing off to Girard, across to Makar, and then back to Gabe for the goal. Lehner had no chance on the play.
How to avoid it: This answer is two-fold. The primary problem is that the Golden Knights were unable to win battles for the puck. Colorado seemed to win too many of these scrambles/battles and then the Avalanche were able to create off those chances.
Making matter worse, both Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo turned their attention to the man out front and not Landeskog who was open on the opposite wing. Makar’s pass was great, but Landeskog shouldn’t have been that open.
Goal #3: Brandon Saad (rebound), assisted by Nichushkin, Makar
On the third Avalanche goal, Alec Martinez was able to block a shot, but couldn’t recover the puck before Brandon Saad. Saad fired it past Lehner, just a minute into the second period, the beginning of the end for the Golden Knights.
How to avoid it: Get the puck out of danger safely. Don’t give it right back to the attacking team.
Goal #4: Nathan MacKinnon (wrist shot), assisted by Graves
Much of the same came on the fourth goal, the awakening of Nathan MacKinnon. Holden got a loose puck in front of the net and instead of safely advancing, he slapped the puck back to the Colorado defense. Ryan Graves retrieved the puck and noticed that MacKinnon was left wide open on the left side. Graves dished it and MacKinnon wired a wrist shot through Lehner’s five hole.
How to avoid it: DON’T LEAVE ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE NHL OPEN. I don’t care what Robin Lehner did on that play, MacKinnon WILL find the hole if he has that much time and space. Holden played the puck back to the Avalanche and then William Karlsson was caught out of position. Reilly Smith left MacKinnon to cover for him and Karlsson was too late cycling to the eventual goal-scorer.
Goal #5: Gabriel Landeskog (2) (PPG, tip-in)), assisted by Rantanen, MacKinnon
Good puck retrieval combined with great vision and passing led to the Avs’ first PPG. They seemed hungrier on the puck for most of the game and in this instance, they got a goal out of it. Landeskog was camped on the far side of Lehner for a good 15 seconds before finally getting the cross-ice pass from Rantanen. He had no chance of missing the goal, just as Lehner had nearly no chance of stopping it.
How to avoid it: Patrick Brown got good stick position on Donskoi in the slot, but that allowed the MacKinnon pass to make it cross-ice to Rantanen. Taking that lane away was crucial. Once Rantanen had the puck, he wasted no time on the pass, making Martinez look silly with little to no time to make a play. He was not ready despite his decent positioning on the play.
Goal #6: Nathan MacKinnon (2) (breakaway), assisted by Donskoi, Landeskog
More loose bouncing pucks being scooped up by the Avalanche. A puck went off William Karlsson’s skate to Donskoi, who hit a streaking MacKinnon in the neutral zone. MacKinnon’s speed caught Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud flat-footed. MacKinnon was then one-on-one with Lehner and beat him to the short side.
How to avoid it: Keep better track of MacKinnon. The Golden Knights also needed to be quicker/hungrier on pucks. They were beat to the puck for most of the game with many of those chances turning into goals.
Goal #7: Cale Makar (PPG, slap shot), assisted by Jost, Burakovsky
In the last quarter of their nine minute penalty kill, the Golden Knights finally gave up a goal. In a game that had already gotten out of hand, they continued to play a physical game and turn too much of their attention toward hitting the opposition and taking some liberties. At their blue line, Brown and Roy jabbed away at Jost and Burakovsky, letting the puck get away and turned into a goal.
How to avoid it: At this point, the Golden Knights cared more about getting their licks in and not the scoreboard. They should’ve stayed focused and had the small accomplishment of killing off a nine minute penalty to Ryan Reaves. Instead Makar was able to notch his first goal of the series and extend the Avalanche lead.
Unfortunately, the Ryan Graves hit on Mattias Janmark, mixed with the whooping the Avalanche were handing to the Golden Knights, turned this game ugly. The Graves interference call wasn’t enough for the Carriers and Reaves-es and they mucked it up. All of that will lead to a very contentious Game Two on Wednesday evening. It will be hard to climb out of a two to nothing hole, but it is equally hard to beat this Avalanche team AND in their home arena.
Most of the league and the NHL fanbase alike have been waiting to see this series. No disrespect to the Wild and Blues, but the countdown started before Round One. Now that it is here, the Golden Knights will be looking to be more competitive. The way Game One went will not sit well with a team accustomed to winning.
Hopefully the tides turn for the Golden Knights and all the other stakeholders in this series. As impressive as a dominating team can be, nothing beats the drama of a Game Seven. Unless major defensive zone changes occur, that might not be the case.
Game Two: Wednesday, June 2 at 7PM PDT
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