Follow @VGK_Buzz On Friday afternoon, the Vegas Golden Knights (7-4-0) host the Central Division leading Colorado Avalanche (7-1-1), in a Nevada Day celebration with arguably the two best teams in the Western Conference. Labelling these teams as the top-two in the conference may be ambitious, but it could also be reality. Both teams feature elite offensive talent, exciting up-and-comers, and are both looking to take another step forward, toward a Stanley Cup Championship.
Not only are both teams extremely talented, the two share many similarities. They aren’t carbon copies, but following a busy offseason for the Avs, have deep rosters that sync up decently well. They have even swapped a player in that same offseason, with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare agreeing to a two-year, $3.6 million contract with the Avalanche. Dating back to 2017-18 the two clubs have split their six contests, highlighting just how evenly matched the two are. A few of the following similarities are sure to play a part in the Nevada Day game.
Injuries:
…I think you guys all know what he is to our team. He’s a big part of our group. We’re battling hard. Our record’s a lot better this year than it was last year. Our guys are competing and battling hard. We miss him.… -Gerard Gallant
Until Schmidt and Tuch return, the Golden Knights will be facing an uphill battle. The team defense has been an issue in both losses and wins (some stolen by Marc-Andre Fleury). Schmidt’s presence at the top of the depth chart, settles everyone else into a more manageable workload. In Tuch’s absence, the third line has lacked identity and production, in either of the multiple versions of the unit used thus far. Despite now featuring the young phenom Cody Glass, the Tuch-less third line remains an issue.
Youth Movements:
Vegas’ youth isn’t as pronounced, but they do have two men who are opening eyes and making big plays in big moments. Glass continues to struggle at 5-on-5 with the third line, but has been a great addition to a hot power play unit. Jonathan Marchessault, who anchors the top PP unit, raved about how good his counterparts have been.
…The (other) unit has been really good. They’re definitely carrying the Power Play around. It would be fun for our unit to help them out a little bit more, but they’ve been so successful and shows that every time we have a Power Play, we have a chance to score a goal.… -Jonathan Marchessault
In addition to Glass, Shea Theodore gives the Golden Knights a future and maybe current superstar in their early twenties. Theodore has consistently been the best and most dynamic defenseman for the Golden Knights. He seems to have mastered the perfect blend of high-level offense that doesn’t sacrifice his defensive zone play. He has been playing big minutes for the club in Schmidt’s absence and has done an admirable job, just as Colin Miller did when he was called upon last season. Theodore has shown an innate ability to play with any partner on any given night and his play clearly transcends his age.
Great Goaltending:
It is easy to see the Golden Knights’ overreliance on their number one goalie, but when he is healthy, Fleury is one of the best goaltenders a team could ask for. In 10 games this season (one in relief of Malcolm Subban), Fleury has accumulated a 7-2-0 record with one shutout, a 2.04 GAA, and a stellar .937 Sv%. These numbers transcend two rough nights, a four-goal game against the Boston Bruins and a five-goal night against the Nashville Predators, both at home.
Both Grubauer and Fleury will be in net for the holiday hockey game on Friday afternoon which should make for a fun faceoff between the two talented clubs.
Top-Line Star Power:
For the Golden Knights, depth outside of the top-six continues to be an issue. Their top two lines are two of the best in the NHL, without a shadow of a doubt. The William Karlsson - Jonathan Marchessault - Reilly Smith trio and the Stastny line - with Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone - could operate as the number one unit for most teams in the league. Marchessault has the lowest point total of the six to start the season, with six (2 goals, 4 assists) in 11 games. That’s not a slight on Marchessault, as much as it shows how much production they have gotten out of the guys you expect to get it from.
The Best of the West?
Not many lines in the Western Conference compare to the top lines of these two teams. The Winnipeg Jets come close with Mark Scheifele – Patrick Laine – Blake Wheeler line as do the Flames with the Sean Monahan – Johnny Gaudreau – Elias Lindholm trio. While the Golden Knights have had ups and downs, they maintain possession of second place in the Pacific Division. Colorado has come out of the gate and refuses to lose games, leading the Central Division, over two elite teams in the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.
Last year’s wild card finish seems to have been less-than-ideal for the Avalanche and they have asserted themselves thus far this season. They look to be a team on a mission out of the gate and have the pieces in place to make a big run come May/June. For the Golden Knights, they need to get production out of their third line. The Cody line, with Brandon Pirri has yet to click and it could cost the rookie a roster spot upon Tuch’s return to the lineup. Glass has been very good on the Power Play, but they need far more production at 5-on-5.
Despite the Golden Knights’ struggles, they have options. If the defense continues to lack identity, they have the now-healthy Zach Whitecloud waiting in the wings. He was great throughout camp and the preseason and looks to be NHL ready. He could be an upgrade over Deryk Engelland or Nick Holden, if the team chooses to go that route. Not surprisingly, the team is putting an emphasis on starting their vets, holding the young kids back another season. If Whitecloud were to get his shot in the rookie spot on the Golden Knights’ blue line, he could show enough to stick in the lineup.
These two teams feature far more strengths than weaknesses. They have talent on both ends of the ice and stabilizing goaltending. They’re built to win now and both have eyes on the playoffs. Battles between the two have always been close, been exciting, and with improved rosters for this one, will be a joy to watch. It’s a shame Rantanen suffered his injury because this could have been a real benchmark game for both clubs. J.T Compher looks to slot into Rantanen’s vacated spot on the top line and he has shown some offense for a more defensive-oriented guy, thus far in his career. It’s hard to pick a winner for this one because both teams are so good, but one thing’s for sure, these teams are the cream of the crop in the Western Conference.