Vegas beats Colorado 4-2 in Game 1

The Vegas Golden Knights opened the Western Conference Final with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Carter Hart stopped 36 shots, and four different Vegas players scored as the Golden Knights won on the road for the latest result in a postseason run that has repeatedly put them in hostile buildings. NHL.com’s playoff schedule lists Vegas and Colorado as one of the league’s two remaining conference-final matchups, alongside Carolina and Montreal. ### Who scored for Vegas in the opener? Pavel Dorofeyev, Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson scored for Vegas in Game 1, according to NHL.com’s recap and game center. Seven Golden Knights players had one assist each in a spread-out offensive night that did not rely on a single scorer carrying the attack. (nhl.com) Colorado got its two goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen, NHL.com’s game center showed. The Avalanche outshot Vegas 38-28, but Hart’s work in net prevented Colorado from turning that edge into a series-opening win. ### How central was Carter Hart to the result? Carter Hart was the central figure in the opener, making 36 saves in the 4-2 victory. (nhl.com) NHL.com said Hart “stops 36” in its Game 1 recap, and a separate NHL.com report on Vegas’ playoff goaltending said Dorofeyev called him “the biggest reason why we got a ‘W’ tonight.” (nhl.com) The 27-year-old goalie entered Game 2 with a 9-4 record, a 2.35 goals-against average and a.920 save percentage in 13 playoff starts, according to NHL.com. Those numbers gave Vegas a clear foundation as the series moved deeper into the conference final. ### What did Colorado lose besides the scoreboard? (nhl.com) Cale Makar missed Game 1 with an undisclosed injury, NHL.com reported in its recap from Denver. Colorado still generated 38 shots, but the absence of one of its top defensemen was part of the backdrop to the Avalanche dropping the opener at home. CBS Sports’ preview coverage for the round had described the matchup as a clash of Western powers in a best-of-seven series. (nhl.com) By the end of Wednesday night, that framing had shifted to a practical deficit for Colorado: the Avalanche now had to chase a series after losing home ice in the first game. (nhl.com) ### Where does the series stand now? The NHL’s conference-finals schedule page lists Vegas ahead 1-0 after the Wednesday result. The same page confirms the series format and the remaining dates for the Western final. NHL.com’s series page shows Vegas followed the Game 1 win with a 3-1 victory in Game 2 on Friday, pushing the lead to 2-0. (cbssports.com) That means the opener was the start of a stronger-than-expected opening push by the Golden Knights against a Colorado team that had entered the round with high expectations. ### What comes next on the schedule? (nhl.com) Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, in Colorado, according to NHL.com’s conference-finals schedule and series page. Game 4 is set for Tuesday, May 26, before the series would return to Colorado for Game 5 on May 28 if necessary. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2)