Avalanche sunk in Game 1 against Golden Knights by 2 fluke goals and hot goalie

The Colorado Avalanche got off to a tough start in Game 1 of their Western Conference Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night at Ball Arena.

The Avs dropped a 4-2 decision after rallying from a 3-0 deficit. Colorado almost drew even, but just couldn’t close the gap. With the score 3-2 late in the third period, an empty-netter sealed the victory for Vegas.

But for anyone watching the entire game, it hardly looked like the Golden Knights dominated. In fact, it was mostly Colorado for significant stretches of the game. Unfortunately, the Avs’ Game 1 defeat came down to two crucial factors: A hot goalie and two fluke goals.

Two fluke goals gave the Golden Knights a three-goal cushion

Colorado starter Scott Wedgewood was the unfortunate recipient of two goals he would have liked to get back. The first goal came in the second period. Fourth liner Dylan Coghlan took advantage of an opportunity and rifled a shot through the five-hole on Wedgewood.

That’s a save that Wedgewood would have made 9 out of 10 times. However, it was this time that Coghlan took advantage of Josh Manson screening Wedgewood. In fact, Manson moved into position to block the shot, but it just got through. Manson didn’t block it and ended up in the back of the net.

The Knights made the game 2-0 on a brilliant pass by Mitch Marner on the power play late in the second.

But it was Brett Howden who used his quick reflexes to score the game-winner.

Defenseman Ben Hutton came out of the penalty box, promptly firing a shot on Wegdewood. The Avalanche netminder made the save, but the rebound came to Howden, who handed it down and managed to get just enough on it with his stick for the goal to count.

That was the story. Two goals that Wedgewood would have liked to get back. They were the difference in what was otherwise a winnable game.

Avalanche ran into a hot Carter Hart

Despite the two fluky goals, the Avalanche could have piled on the scoreboard. But the difference on the night was Vegas goaltender Carter Hart. Hart stopped 36 shots, keeping Colorado from running up the score.

In fact, the Avalanche had a 38-28 shot advantage. But it was Hart who stood tall, especially in the third period. His efforts landed him the game’s first star.

While Hart essentially stole the game for Vegas on Wednesday night, it remains to be seen if he can keep that up for the entire series. As Colorado showed, Vegas will only be able to hold them back for so long.

It might just be a matter of time before the Avalanche bust the doors open.

Colorado rallied, showing plenty of resilience

The score did not reflect how tough the game was. The Avalanche rallied late in the third, almost pulling off a second-straight three-goal comeback. Alas, it was not meant to be.

But that doesn’t mean the Avalanche were outmatched in this game. In anything, the Golden Knights should be concerned about how long they will be able to keep this going. While it’s clear that Cale Makar’s absence was crucial, the overall Avalanche attack seemed relentless.

If the Golden Knights are planning on Carter Hart stealing the series for them, well, things could change very quickly.

Game 2 will take place on Friday night, with the Avalanche looking to pull even. With the way Game 1 ended, there’s a pretty good chance the outcome for Game 2 could be radically different.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow