LAS VEGAS — Even with the road trip in the rear view mirror, the Vegas Golden Knights can see that the hard work is far from over.
On Friday, the Golden Knights celebrate Halloween and Nevada Day with an afternoon matinee matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.
The game features two teams jockeying for position in their respective divisions. With 16 points, the Avalanche come to T-Mobile Arena in a three-way tie with the Winnipeg Jets and Utah Mammoth for the lead in the Central Division. The Golden Knights currently hold the lead in the Pacific with 15 points, but the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken and Edmonton Oilers are all within two.
With no one able to get separation just yet, this game is a crucial one to establish conference supremacy for both teams.
With a 1 pm puck drop, the Golden Knights are starting much earlier than they are accustomed to.
It could pose an issue as far as game preparation is concerned, but their opponents have the same obstacle as well. It has not stopped the Golden Knights from impressing on Nevada Day, as they are 4-2-1 all-time during the state holiday. If they can get out to a fast start and put a strong first several minutes together, the Golden Knights could end up in great shape.
Few teams have the sheer firepower to match the Golden Knights, but the Avalanche certainly qualify.
Heading into Friday’s games, Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel leads the NHL with 19 points, but Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is tied for third with 17 points. The Golden Knights have Pavel Dorofeyev, Mitch Marner and Ivan Barbashev at double-digit points already; the Avalanche respond with Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen and the recently-extended Martin Necas. Former Golden Knight Victor Olofsson is also returning to the Fortress on a hot streak, recording a hat trick in Colorado’s previous game against the New Jersey Devils.
Both teams have players who can score at a moment’s notice, so defense and goaltending will have to be sound to keep the game from getting out of control.
In this matchup against elite teams, the Golden Knights and Avalanche are aiming to assert dominance.
Both teams enter Friday’s game with only one regulation loss apiece. They also recently broke stretches of difficult play with big wins over top teams, with the Avalanche breaking a four-game losing streak with their win over the Devils, while the Golden Knights capped a losing streak at two games with a 6-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
It would not be surprising if this ends up being a conference final preview, so both teams will be looking to size the other up and get an early edge.