Can the Avalanche’s speed overwhelm the Golden Knights?
The Colorado Avalanche face a tough test in the Western Conference Final, as they get set to go up against the Vegas Golden Knights with a spot in the Stanley Cup Final on the line.
The Avalanche have breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping the Los Angeles Kings before taking care of the Minnesota Wild in five games. One of the biggest strengths the Presidents’ Trophy winners possess is their speed. Led by the dynamic Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado can move the puck up and down the ice with great speed, with many agile weapons at its disposal.
On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Steve Peters joins Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to discuss whether the Avalanche can outskate the Golden Knights in the series.
Steve Peters: I think that’s one of the key areas of this series. Can Colorado use their speed to get through the blue lines? A lot of that, when we talk about Makar, he’s gonna join the rush. He’s gonna be a guy that can deliver the mail from below the circles and get it all the way up in high in the neutral zone. So, it’s absolutely a factor, but when you say that, when you look at how MacKinnon is playing in these playoffs and the pace he has, and people are staying above him, and people are trying to get in the way, and he is blowing by them. I honestly don’t recall seeing him play this fast at this pace for this long when the opponents know he’s coming. I still think they’re gonna get through the neutral zone.
The thing they’re gonna have a difficult time dealing with Vegas is their physicality. That’s something that Colorado really hasn’t faced yet in this series. I know Minnesota had their fourth line that could bang you around. But Vegas is tough along the wall. They’re tough on those 50/50 battles. They are going to be so physical, especially on the defensemen. That’s why you have to protect Cale Makar in a situation like this. If it’s a shoulder, if it’s his hip, he can’t get pounded in the glass every time he goes back to get a puck.
So, I think that’s where the advantage swings to Vegas…their physicality. That’s how you can compete against the speed of Colorado, is try to keep them in a mucky game along the walls and below the blue line.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…