Colorado Avalanche: The Tough Battle For Top Spot In the West

There are three keys to the Colorado Avalanche beating the Vegas Golden Knights tonight for the top spot in the West. Each of them is important.

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Having just watched the game between the St Louis Blues and the Vegas Golden Knights, the Colorado Avalanche have a tough game ahead of them tonight.

What initially started out slow, ended up a higher scoring game than I expected.

Having beaten the St Louis Blues last weekend here is what the Avalanche will need to do to win against the Knights and take top spot in the West:

Get a Shutout

Yes, I know that’s a tall order. Even more so if Coach Bednar decides to go with Grubauer again. The Knights put 38 shots on goal. They hammered Binnington the entire game. If they come out with that same mentality on Saturday, as I’ve said our goalie is going to need to be a force to be reckoned with.

Grubauer will need to remain solidly in that space of front on to the net. No travelling too far side to side or coming forward because the moment he does that, the Knights will get shots in behind him.

If Francouz is in net, it will be a different ball game completely. He plays a different game in front of the net and does stay remarkably close to it, so the Knights will have less chance to get the puck in past him.

All of the defence will need to be at their best protecting whoever is in the net.

If they don’t, the Knights are sure to score. And after their performance against the Blues that could be quite a few goals on the scoreboard.

Not take penalties

The Vegas Golden Knights have a strong Power Play, so the smartest thing the Colorado Avalanche can do is stay out of the penalty box.

If the Avalanche is smart, they will play the type of game they played Wednesday night against the Stars and draw penalties. The Knights ended up with two goals from five power-play opportunities against the Blues.

The Avalanche can’t afford to give the Knights those opportunities.

If the Avalanche can draw the penalties it means that both power-play units need to be strong and score. The Avalanche also had two goals from five power-play opportunities last game.

This makes for a very evenly matched game in this space.

Somehow the Avalanche need to determine how they are going to make the best opportunity of every power play they gain.

Find a way to play their game

During the regular season, the Avalanche managed to win both times against the Knights, on the road. They have to see themselves in that space again.

Life in the bubble is hugely different given the players don’t travel anywhere, but mentally they need to think of themselves as on the road and on their strong winning streaks.

If they can do what they did best to beat the Knights in Vegas, then the Avalanche will come out with the win.

Doing that will give them six points and the top spot in the Western Conference, meaning they will have the home-ice advantage that Coach Bednar has had the team focused on.

Time for all four lines to step up, and our goalie to be at his best for this tough game that is the last in this Round Robin series.

Let’s Go Avs!