You don't want to face a daunting test coming off a Christmas break. You want peace and tranquility after dealing with numerous injuries and a grueling road trip. Unfortunately, that's not the case for the Vegas Golden Knights.
They must take on the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. If you don't know, Colorado's the best team in the NHL. They have a record of 27-2-7 with 61 points. Two regulation losses! It seems like this team will never lose in regulation ever again...
...Except there's a way to beat them. In fact, there are three ways that the Golden Knights can pull this off. Not everyone is invincible in life and that includes the Avalanche. Haven't you heard of the President's Trophy drought?
You know what's coming. You know what needs to be done. It's time to map out a victory path for the Golden Knights so they can shock the world by beating Colorado. How can David defeat Goliath in a colossal matchup on Saturday?
1.) Win on special teams
Looking at the Avalanche, you'd think that they're unstoppable in every facet. As of the Christmas break, they have the league's highest-scoring team (3.94 goals per game) and the league's best goaltending team (2.11 goals allowed per game and a team save percentage of .923). On top of that, the penalty kill (85.4%) is also the best in the league. Certainly, everything should be perfect and hunky dory, right?
Well...
The Avalanche have an abysmal power play, ranking 27th in the NHL (16.1%). Meanwhile, the improved Golden Knights penalty kill (tied for 12th in the NHL with a penalty kill percentage of 81.4%) has the ultimate opportunity to build momentum. That can be done with successful exits and hard sticks. Speaking of momentum...
2.) The Golden Knights must get the jump on the Colorado Avalanche
Tuesday's game was a shining example of how the Golden Knights should start a hockey game. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the San Jose Sharks, peppering the goaltending to the point of submission. Vegas has searched for starts like this all season since they've found themselves immersed in deep holes.
On the other hand, Colorado has had no problem with getting the early jump. In fact, they've scored the first goal in seven straight games. Attacking the offensive zone with solid entries and wire-to-wire passes is key to pressuring the defensive front for the Avalanche.
3.) Depth scoring must be key for the Golden Knights
Surprisingly, the Golden Knights haven't had much trouble getting scorers from other places. Since Jack Eichel has missed time, they've averaged 3.5 goals per game. That has included Reilly Smith, who suddenly has two goals and an assist in his last three games.
As for Eichel, if he returns on Saturday, that's great. If not, it's on depth scorers like Smith to continue carrying the load for the Golden Knights. Colorado isn't easy to score on, which is where the constant offensive zone pressure comes into play. Win all three zones and you'll win the game.