The Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights are set to kick off their 2024-25 NHL season in a highly anticipated matchup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This game promises to be an exciting clash between two of the league's elite teams, each with a rich history of success.
A Meeting of Two NHL Powerhouses
Since the Golden Knights entered the NHL in 2017-18, they and the Avalanche have consistently been among the league's top teams. Over the past seven seasons, the Avalanche have boasted a remarkable regular-season points percentage of .647, while the Golden Knights have maintained a .627 points percentage. Both teams have made significant strides in their respective histories, with each capturing a Stanley Cup during this period.
The Avalanche have been particularly dominant, making the playoffs each of the last seven years. In contrast, the Golden Knights have qualified for the postseason six times during this span. This season opener marks the beginning of another intense rivalry between these two Western Conference powerhouses.
Potential Debuts and Milestones
The Avalanche are poised to introduce several new faces to their roster. Forwards Calum Ritchie and Ivan Ivan are eligible to make their NHL debuts in this game. Ritchie, the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, recorded 80 points (28g/52a) in 50 regular-season games with the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals last season. Ivan, entering his second professional season, posted 31 points (12g/19a) in 67 regular-season games for the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
Additionally, forward Nikolai Kovalenko is expected to make his NHL regular-season debut. Kovalenko, who appeared in two playoff games in 2023-24, recorded 35 points (11g/24a) in 42 regular-season games last season for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL.
Several Avalanche players are also on the cusp of significant career milestones. Nathan MacKinnon is one point shy of reaching 900 career points, having accumulated 335 goals and 564 assists in 791 games. Samuel Girard is just one point away from reaching 200 career points, with 31 goals and 168 assists in 475 games. Casey Mittelstadt enters the season opener four points away from reaching 200 career points, having posted 66 goals and 130 assists in 357 games. Jonathan Drouin is four goals away from reaching 100 career goals, having entered Wednesday's contest with 96 goals and 241 assists in 564 games.
A Look Back at Last Season's Rivalry
Last season, both teams made the playoffs, with the Avalanche finishing with 107 points and the Golden Knights posting 98 points. The two Western Conference squads faced off three times last season, with each team winning once in regulation and the Golden Knights winning the rubber match in overtime.
This season opener marks the first of three meetings between these two teams, with Colorado hosting Vegas on November 27 and April 8.
Current Lineup and Injuries
The Avalanche offense is expected to be one of the top units in the league, led by Nathan MacKinnon, who finished last season with 51 goals and 89 assists. However, they will have to make do without Gabriel Landeskog for much of the season due to knee injuries. The defense and goaltending were the biggest downfalls for the Avs last season, but if they can get solid netminding, they can make a strong playoff run.
The Golden Knights look a little different this season after finishing last year with a 45-29-8 record. They will need to replace Jonathan Marchessault's scoring, as he has moved to the Nashville Predators. However, they have newcomer Tomas Hertl who is expected to provide some offense.
The Avalanche lineup includes Drouin-MacKinnon-Rantanen, Kovalenko-Mittelstadt-Ritchie, Wood-Colton-O'Connor, Ivan-Kelly-Kiviranta, Toews-Makar, Girard-Manson, De Haan-Malinski, Georgiev, and Annunen. The Golden Knights lineup includes Barbashev-Eichel-Stone, Dorofeyev-Hertl-Holtz, Olofsson-Roy-Brisson, Pearson-Howden-Kolesar, Theodore-Pietrangelo, Hanifin-Hague, McNabb-Whitecloud, Hill, Samsonov.
Players to watch for the Avalanche include Alexandar Georgiev, who struggled last season but hopes to regain his form as the starting goalie. Cale Makar is arguably the top defenseman in the NHL and will be looked upon again to play heavy minutes.
For the Golden Knights, Noah Hanifin will bolster a defense that already includes Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, and Brayden McNabb. The hope is that goaltender Adin Hill can sustain strong performances throughout the season, despite never having started more than 35 games in a single season.
Injuries for both teams include Gabriel Landeskog (knee IR) for the Avalanche and William Karlsson (undisclosed IR) for the Golden Knights.
Prediction and Betting Lines
The betting lines for this game are tight, with both teams having identical moneyline odds of -110. This indicates a balanced market with no clear favorite. However, some predictions lean towards the Golden Knights, especially with Adin Hill in the crease. Hill has performed well against the Avalanche in the past, posting a 2-0-0 record with a 1.48 GAA and .954 SV%.
The over/under for the game is set at 6.5 goals, with the under being the slight favorite at -120 and the over at +101. Sharp action tools indicate sharp bets on the under 6.5 goals, suggesting that this game may be a low-scoring affair.
Overall, this season opener promises to be an intense and closely contested match between two of the NHL's elite teams. The Avalanche's strong offense and the Golden Knights' solid defense make for an intriguing matchup that could go either way.
