The Colorado Avalanche expected to be in this position when they started training camp in September, and the mission has not changed — a Stanley Cup championship.
Colorado has pushed all season towards that goal, earning home ice throughout the playoffs, and the drive continues when it faces the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.
Game 1 is Wednesday night in Denver, and the Avalanche don’t expect a quick series either way.
“I just can’t see this being a short series. It’s going to be tough, and we’re ready for a seven-gamer here,” Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon said.
This is the first postseason meeting between the teams since Vegas prevailed in six games in the 2021 second round.
The Avalanche got through the first two rounds quickly, sweeping Los Angeles in the first round and eliminating Minnesota in five games. They’ve had a week off since rallying to beat the Wild in overtime in Game 5, an important break for their dinged-up players.
Forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Malinski missed the final two games against Minnesota but practiced in full Tuesday. Premier defenseman Cale Makar didn’t practice a day before Game 1, but head coach Jared Bednar said he is not yet worried about Makar’s availability.
Makar is likely a game-time decision.
“If he can’t go, it is what it is,” Colorado defenseman Josh Manson said. “That’s a huge piece. You don’t replace a guy like that. We need guys to step and fill roles and you just do what you can. We’ve done it in the past with other guys out.”
The Golden Knights are also dealing with injuries. Captain Mark Stone has not played since sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 3 of the second round series against Anaheim, and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (upper-body injury) has not played since Game 6 of the first round.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon met with the media late Tuesday but did not have an update on either player.
William Karlsson, who missed 68 games in the regular season and the start of the playoffs, returned early in the Anaheim series and adds depth to an already strong core of centers.
“This is a deep, deep center team,” Bednar said of Vegas. “They added (Nic) Dowd at the deadline, they get Karlsson back, they’re structured one through four in the center position, but really it’s their whole forward group.”
A spotlight will be on both teams’ top centers — MacKinnon and Jack Eichel — but the series could come down to other players. For the Golden Knights, Mitch Marner has been a force in these playoffs, leading the league in postseason scoring with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists).
With 15 points (one goal, 14 assists), Eichel is second in scoring amongst players still competing in the playoffs.
Marner is in his first season with Vegas after nine in Toronto where he didn’t advance past the second round. He isn’t fazed by the moment heading into the matchup with the Avalanche.
“We’re just going to make sure we do our thing, focus on ourselves, make sure that we’re taking care of what we can take care of, and just be ready to play some hard hockey,” Marner said.
