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:
It’s still October, the NHL Faceoff paint has barely dried, yet both teams are dealing with extremely impactful injuries. The Golden Knights remain without the top defenseman Nate Schmidt and power forward Alex Tuch. In Schmidt’s absence the Golden Knights’ team defense has been noticeably out of sync. They have gone through this once before, when Schmidt was suspended 20 games to start Year Two and it was admittedly tough.
”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.
Nate Schmidt is a key piece of this team (USA Today Sports)
In their last game, the Avalanche lost one of their and quite possibly the NHL’s best players. Mikko Rantanen suffered a gruesome lower-body injury in the first period of their 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. A quick google search can show you the image of the winger’s skate facing the wrong direction. Rantanen is fresh off a 31-goal, 87-point season that helped earn him a team-leading $9.250 cap hit. His six-year, $55.5 million contract is hefty, but the talented Finn is well worth it. Luckily, he seems to be ahead of the initial four-to-six week timetable assigned to his injury, which bodes well for the Avalanche building on their strong start. None of the three injured players, in addition to the injured Malcolm Subban, will be available for this contest.
Youth Movements:
Cale Makar looks to be a real difference-maker for the Avs (USA Today Sports)
Yes, the Golden Knights and Avalanche both have strong veteran cores, but what’s impressive is the play they get out of their youngest players. This year’s Avalanche have three players who are just 21-years-old playing big roles and scoring big goals. Defensemen Cale Makar and Sam Girard find themselves in the top-four of average Time On Ice for Avalanche defensemen while Tyson Jost has already netted four goals on the season. Andre Burakovsky, who was acquired this summer, is a 24-year-old with big potential and has recorded eight points in his first nine games with his new club. Combining that group with Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen, who have already reached an elite level before the age of 25, suggests that the Avalanche will be very good for a very long time.
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:
Another recent acquisition, also from the Washington Capitals, has been paying dividends for the Avs. Starting netminder Philip Grubauer went from battling for time with Brayden Holtby in the nation’s capital, to wrestling the Avalanche’s starting job from Semyon Varlamov. This season, the man they call Grub is the clear-cut starter with Varlamov signing with the Islanders and he has looked the part. Coming into the game against the Golden Knights he owns a 5-1-1 record with a 2.82 GAA and .915 Sv%. He’s recorded three shutouts in each of the past three seasons, despite limited playing time. Grubauer now has his time to be “the man” for a team and so far he’s making the most of it.
Grubauer has given the Avs solid goaltending since his arrival (USA Today Sports)
At the opposite end of the ice will be the man they call Flower and his resume speaks for itself. With over 900 games played in his career, the first-overall pick in the 2003 Entry Draft has played in ever situation possible. There’s not much that could surprise Fleury in a hockey game at this point in his career and it’s allowed him to make mind-blowing saves in each of his appearances early on this season. Historically, the Golden Knights have struggled in games that Fleury does not play, and that is due in part to the desperation saves he regularly makes. Some of those stops can not be asked of a backup goaltender playing once every three to four weeks.
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:
One of the biggest similarities between these two teams is the quality of their top-end forwards. The Avalanche, with Rantanen in the lineup, have a top-five - in the NHL - forward line, with he and captain Gabriel Landeskog flanking the electric MacKinnon. That trio has a combined 31 points in their first nine games, with Rantanen and MacKinnon leading the team with 12 (5 goals, 7 assists each). What’s new this season for the Avs, is the competence of their second line, which is centered by the newcomer, Nazim Kadri. In swapping Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot, and a sixth-round pick for Kadri, Callie Rosen, and a third-round pick, the Avalanche gave themselves a legitimate top-six center and support for the top line.
Colorado will survive without their dynamic duo (USA Today Sports)
Last season, the Avalanche reached Game Seven of the Western Conference Semi-Finals despite a clear lack of depth. They were a team with a dominant first line and three third lines. There were instances where they split up their big-three, but this team is at its best when they play together, creating mismatches for the opposing defense. Like the way the Bruins play Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand on the same line, the Avs are wise to overpower teams with their superstar line.
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.
Paul Stastny’s line has been electric, especially on the PP (USA Today Sports)
Smith and Stone have been red-hot to start the 2019-20 campaign and the ironic part is that they essentially play the same role on their respective lines. Both right wingers are the men seen continually winning puck battles in the corners, opening passing lanes and scoring chances for their linemates. Smith leads the team with seven goals while Stone has six of his own to go with eight assists for 14 points. After spending parts of seven seasons with the embattled Senators, Stone is ready to make himself a household name, with better teammates and bigger stat lines.
The Best of the West?
With their depth, high-end talent, and above-average goaltending, these teams have the winning equation in the NHL. A team can only make it as far as their goaltender will allow and both clubs have the guys to do it between the pipes. While Fleury has enjoyed a more prestigious career to this point, Grubauer looks to be the real deal for the Avalanche. He, like Fleury, has been on the positive end of multiple highlight videos since his arrival in Colorado and he’s quickly become a fan favorite. It’s no secret, Avalanche fans love a good goalie – cough, cough Patrick Roy – and the team might even make him their coach one day.
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.
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