Recap: Avalanche shutout Golden Knights 3-0
Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images
It was a tasty game of revenge. It was a final home game test before the Colorado Avalanche headed out on the road for a long five-game trip. Incoming was the Vegas Golden Knights who embarrassed the Avalanche in the desert just two months ago. But payback was deserved as the Avalanche returned the favor and shutout the Golden Knights 3-0.
The Game
It was a sleepy start to the game with the teams alternating two power plays apiece. But with 14 seconds left in the first period finally it was Big Val Nichushkin who got the Avalanche on the board for his 21st goal of the season. With that power play goal the home team went into the first intermission up 1-0 over Vegas.
Colorado started getting more chances on Vegas third goaltender Jiri Patera and couldn’t get a puck past him but did earn another power play. It was déjà vu at 11:42 as Nichushkin again scored on the power play on a primary feed from Mikko Rantanen. On this goal Nathan MacKinnon extended his franchise tying 23-game home point streak.
The Avalanche kept the pressure on and outshot Vegas 14-6 in the second frame but couldn’t build on their lead. Still, a 2-0 advantage was a good place to be in after 40 minutes of play.
Vegas made their push during the third period and especially on their power play where Alexandar Georgiev made a big save on Jack Eichel. And to reward him the Avalanche padded their lead from Logan O’Connor taking a shot up high which was tipped by Vegas past their own goaltender at 9:20. O’Connor also padded his point streak to five games in the process.
Suddenly the game was getting late and a shutout began to appear on the horizon. The Avalanche wouldn’t let Vegas put one on the board and Georgiev earned his second shutout of the season in this 25-save effort for a 3-0 victory. He was also named first star in a nice bit of redemption for him, too.
Takeaways
It was a statement win in many ways. First, to follow up on the win over Boston was a great way to build momentum before embarking on a long road trip. Second, Vegas deserved payback after the 7-0 debacle at their home barn. And third, it was fantastic to see Georgiev shut the door after so many questions about his ability to lead the team in net.
It was a full team effort and several individuals stepped up in the continued absence of Miles Wood, Josh Manson, Bowen Byram and Artturi Lehkonen, each who should return shortly. In addition to O’Connor scoring Jonathan Drouin picked up another point and Caleb Jones did as well, which added to the depth contributions.
Upcoming
The first game on the road trip is at the Toronto Maple Leafs at 5 p.m. MT on Saturday, January 13th. ...
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