Vegas Golden Knights @ Colorado Avalanche Game Recap
Spoiler Alert: This was the best game I’ve seen the Avalanche play all season.
Period 1
There were plenty of times last year when Mikko Rantanen looked partially engaged. He still scored his points and what looked like a poor effort never felt like it hurt the team. They won the cup, any and all sins are forgiven. The Avs may have scored early but Vegas is not letting that slow them down. They are first in the division after all, I would not expect them to just give up. Thankfully, Georgiev came to play tonight and when the defense lets a shot through, he is making the stops.
I would like to say a quick welcome back to Jack Johnson. This is his first game with the team since being traded back. His moment with the team as they raised the Stanley Cup Champs banner was nice to see and I like having him back on the blue line playing some responsible defense.
Moving from the veteran D-man to the youth of the D-corp, Byram looks great out there. He is great with the puck everywhere on the ice.
Bedsy Round #1 goes to the Avs, they scored Avs 1-0-0
Vegas, being the team they are up the pressure and spend most of the next five minutes in the offensive zone. The Avs never get into scramble mode, something they did a lot more of earlier in the season. Geogiev is making the saves he needs to and then some. What a great trade by the Avs front office picking him up this offseason.
As the Avs were in the defensive zone a lot this round, Byram and his puck handing played a staring role and I have to say, my comfort level when Byram has the puck is only matched by the comfort I feel when Makar and Toews have the puck.
The Avs were able to stabilize at the end of this round. My hope as a fan is that the push by the Golden Knights will slow them down in the third period. Still, Vegas gets this round.
Bedsy Round #2 goes to Vegas, Tied 1-1-0
Score: Avs up 1-0
The Avs look different and the most important change, not just in this game but in this part of the season is they have stopped forcing the puck in the offensive zone. When the cross-ice pass isn’t there, they circle around and look for an open point d-man. There was more one and done offensive possessions mid-season. What I’ve seen recently and in this game is more control of the puck. The Avs are at their best when they control possession. I love it!
Byram and Compher have a good zone entry that ends up as a good shot attempt for Compher. Byram is so good. There is a great passing sequence to get Girard a shot. Newhook, O’Connor then the shot. The Avs third line has been great the last number of weeks.
MacKinnon has a great patient dangle in the o-zone, giving Nichuskin a chance to get in place for a pass and a good shot attempt. The team is able to connect on plays. All season long it felt like the team was passing through maple syrup and skating on dull blades. They have shown up here against the best record in the west and are playing great-looking hocket.
Bedsy Round #3 goes to the Avs 2-1-0
The Avs settle into responsible hockey led by Byram who is all over the ice. My next jersey will be a Mikko jersey, but the one after that will be a Byram.
Girard has been noticeable in the offensive zone and Jack Johnson, I see you living in front of your own net. It feels so good to be watching the team play like this after some of the hockey we watched earlier in the season.
At one point the Avs net gets knocked off its pegs. Georgiev, doing his job and tending the goal, stood under the bar, even as the goal sat a few feet behind the line. With 90 seconds left in the period, Vegas feels like they are pushing for the equalizer, then Byram leads an offensive rush up the middle. So in love with his play right now.
Bedsy Round #4 goes to the Avs Vegas never had any real zone time. Avs were moving the puck at will and running plays down the ice. Avs 3-1-0
Score: Avs 1-0
Period 2
This was the best period of hockey I have watched this season. If I was ever going to show a period of hockey to a ne wor potential fan, this would be it. The teams were up and down the ice. The passing was crisp. Both teams had chances, the score was close, the tension was given time and space to grow.
The first five minutes of this period was played to a tie
Bedsy Round #5 Tie. Avs 3-1-1
Score: Avs up 1-0
The next five minutes was more of the same. This wasn’t “avoid mistake hockey, this was two good teams looking for prime scoring opportunities. There have been no penalties to this point and the play from both sides exemplary. The one play that stood out was a pass from Mackinnon to Nichuskin. Nuke missed the shot but a goal there would have been sick. I root real hard for Nichuskin. He has been on quite the rollercoaster in his career and he found a home with the Avalanche. He got paid and I hope he finds statistical success not just for the team I root for but for his own legacy.
Bedsy Round #6 Tie. Avs 3-1-2
Score: Avs 1-0
I didn’t know there was another gear to find in this game, but the chances started to open up once the game passed the halfway mark. The Avs got a lucky bounce to the front of the net and Rodrigues missed the shot.
Georgiev is steady in net. The Golden Knights are getting their chances, but there isn’t a feeling like a goal is coming anytime soon from either team. The Avs find some zone time and Toews gets a great slap shot chance in the slot. The save is made and soon after Mikko gets into an angry shoving match. This absolutely feels like playoff hockey. Vegas is frustrated and playing hard. The Avs are absolutely trying to win this game. Neither team is making any mistakes up to this point.
Finally, the penalties start getting whistled. Matching minors, which is great because this game felt like it could use more open ice. The Avs control the puck for much of this part of the period. Mackinnon makes a great bounce pass off the boards to Girard and Vegas gets called for a crosscheck. I hope this is the first sign of Vegas losing a step.
The Avs don’t score on the Power Play, but they will this Bedsy.
Bedsy Round #7 goes to the Avs, 4-1-2
Score: 1-0
Vegas killed the power play but the Avs carried the momentum to a Goal for Mikko on a sick cross-the-slot pass from MacKinnon.
I’m going to be very honest with you. The Avs scored but there were two or three suspect non-calls in the Avs favor there.
Vegas really makes a push in the last 3 minutes of the period. We get matching minors and the Avs controlled the puck for the full two minutes. If they can do that in the third period this will be a solid effort. The boys are playing well tonight. I’ve seen nothing so far that suggests they can’t keep it up through the third period.
Bedsy Round #8 Avs. They controlled the puck the most and had real chances. Avs 5-1-2
Score: Avs 2-0
Period 3
What made the Avs so special last year was their ability to close a game. When they decided the game was over, the game was over. Vegas decided to try and pressure the puck early in the period and the Avs have been able to find the open space in the ice. Not just find the open space to move the puck into the offensive zone. They are not able to get sustained pressure in the zone to start the period, but they played well enough to be the most threatening team to start the third.
Bedsy Round # 9 Lean Avs 6-1-2
Score: Avs 2-0
What I really want to avoid is that fluky goal the Avs are all too capable of giving up in these kinds of games. The last thing Vegas needs is hope. The Avs have decided they are going to close this game by playing most of the third period in Vegas zone. Not only do the Avs have the puck in space; when there is a loose puck, they are the first team to the puck. Are the legs Vegas used earlier in the game starting to give out? The Avs are giving vegas no space anywhere on the ice. When Vegas gets the puck in the Avs defensive zone, there is no sustain and Georgiev has made the saves he needed to. The only “blemish” to this point is Nichuskin who doesn’t have the finish tonight.
Bedsy Round #10 goes to the Avs 7-1-2
The next round starts with a bad penalty taken by Malgin. This really feels like the game. Kill it and the game is close to over. Compher has a great block on the kill, I love it. A very scary end to the kill. Desperate clears that don’t quite make it followed by a pile-up in front of the net. The hope is now that the Avs can get a string of possession and end any momentum Vegas got from the Power Play.
Bedsy Round #11 Lean Vegas. They have momentum and are one goal away from pulling the goalie and pushing for the regulation tie, Avs 7-2-2
Score: Avs 2-0
OK, deep breath everyone, Vegas pulled the goalie and Avs immediately score on a Mackinnon empty netter, an assist from Nichuskin. Maybe he read this during the second intermission?
Great win, great, win. Fun hockey. An absolute joy to watch.
Bedsy Round #12 Avs, they scored. Avs win 8-2-2
Final Score: Avs 3-0
Other Games Tonight:
Detroit @ Ottawa
Had a chance to watch the first half of this game and the Senators are moving the puck around like a confident team. They have been terrible since the Duchene trade (sorry not sorry, couldn’t help myself). They are a young team with players who are easy to root for. The first half of this game has been an offensive onslaught by the young Senators. A lot of fun to watch and they should really have two or three more goals than they do at this point of the contest.
BUT……..
There is another team on the ice and they are playing some great team defense with an offensive counterattack that is doing enough along with the help from the Power Play unit. I’m rooting for both of these teams. I want to see some new blood in the playoffs. I’m looking at Florida being down in the standings and seeing teams like Buffalo and Detroit in place to make a run and find their place in the post-season.
Of course, as I write this, Perron is doing Perron things on the ice, takes a penalty, and throws a mini-tantrum. Seeing his team lose to Nazem Kadri and the Avs last year felt great. As I said in the Fan Experience, sports come with scars, some fresher than others.
The Senators just tied the game, I’m off the watch the first part of a game a little closer to Avalanche in the standings.
Vancouver @ Dallas
This is going to be tough out of the gate, but the opening goal scored by Vancouver is not the kind of goal a team should be giving up. The defense was puck-watching. Vancouver got behind the defense and had a clean swing at a bouncing puck. All credit to Beauvillier, the shot was very well placed, but the effort from Dallas on the play is not something a fan should feel good about.
Vancouver goes on the Power Play and they pull a Vancouver and give up a shorty. Welcome to the struggle when the team ahead of yours is playing a team well down in the standings. I guess I will settle in for Dallas to find a way to win this game. However, former Avs player, Sheldon Dries scores on the Power Play and puts the Canuck back up by a goal. My only question is, Sheldon Dries plays on the Power Play? Good for him, I like hearing about former Avs finding a place in the league. Thanks for the assist old friend. I hope you score the game-winner today.
Vancouver got the win in OT. I hate the loser point BUT, to be Dallas right now, feeling like they should have beaten a weaker team than them, tough place to be as a team and for their fans.
