Vegas Golden Knights Complete Sweep of Avalanche, Claim Third Western Conference Title
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Game 4 on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena, completing a four-game sweep of the Western Conference Final. The victory secured Vegas its third Western Conference title since entering the NHL in 2017.
Game Details
Vegas captain Mark Stone opened the scoring less than five minutes into the first period on a breakaway set up by defenseman Brayden McNabb. Vegas forward Cole Smith added an insurance goal late in the third period by deflecting a shot from defenseman Dylan Coghlan. Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog scored with under two minutes remaining in regulation to bring the score to 2-1.
Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood entered the game in place of Scott Wedgewood. He made 24 saves, including several on Vegas forward Pavel Dorofeyev during a second-period power play. Vegas goaltender Carter Hart stopped 20 of 21 shots.
Vegas blocked 15 shots in Game 4.
Player Notes
Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon played despite a right leg injury from Game 3. He recorded two shots and 22:10 of ice time. MacKinnon is tied for third in the NHL in playoff goals (7) and tied for seventh in points (14). He has 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 8 playoff games against Vegas and 30 points (8 goals, 22 assists) in 31 regular-season games against the Golden Knights.
Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin did not dress due to a lower-body injury. Joel Kiviranta replaced him in the lineup.
Series Statistics
Colorado scored seven goals in the series, below its regular-season average of 3.63 goals per game. The Avalanche led the NHL with 12 third-period goals at home in the playoffs entering the series.
Since the 2020-21 season, MacKinnon’s 49 playoff points at home (22 goals, 27 assists) ranked third in the NHL. Since the same period, Devon Toews’ 38 playoff assists ranked fourth among NHL defensemen. Toews has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 7 playoff games against Vegas.
Vegas forward Mitch Marner led the Golden Knights in points (19), was second in assists (12), and third in goals (7) during the playoffs. Forward Dorofeyev led the team in goals (10) and was third in points (12). Forward Jack Eichel led the team in assists (15) and was second in points (16).
Series and Historical Context
The Avalanche and Golden Knights have met in one previous playoff series, with Vegas defeating Colorado in six games in the 2021 Second Round. The teams also played a seeding round-robin contest during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The sweep marked the first time a Presidents' Trophy winner was swept since the 2019 Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Golden Knights now await the winner of the Eastern Conference final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.
Quotation
"Well, we’re a good team. I think we have full confidence in our capabilities, and I don't think that really wavers depending on if you win or lose, especially early in a series."
— Colorado forward Nazem Kadri