Vegas beats Colorado 4-2

The Vegas Golden Knights opened the Western Conference Final with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on May 20 in Denver, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Carter Hart made 36 saves, and four different Vegas players scored at Ball Arena, according to NHL.com. Colorado played without defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the game with an undisclosed injury, NHL.com reported. The result gave Vegas home-ice advantage in a series against the top-seeded Avalanche. ### Who scored for Vegas, and when did the game turn? Dylan Coghlan put Vegas ahead in the second period with his first career NHL playoff goal, and Pavel Dorofeyev scored 2:33 later to make it 2-0, NHL.com reported. Brett Howden added the game-winner later in the second, and Nicolas Hague scored into an empty net in the third. (nhl.com) Colorado cut into the lead with two goals in the third period, but Vegas held on. NHL.com said the Golden Knights carried a multi-goal cushion into the final stretch and Hart stopped 13 shots in the third period alone. ### How much did Carter Hart matter in the opener? (nhl.com) Carter Hart finished with 36 saves in one of Vegas’ busiest defensive games of the postseason, according to NHL.com and Sportsnet. The Avalanche generated 38 shots on goal, but Hart turned aside repeated pressure as Colorado tried to rally late. (nhl.com) Sportsnet reported Hart said he felt “zeroed in” during the opener, and Vegas coach John Tortorella said after the game that the goaltender gave the club a steady performance under pressure. The Golden Knights’ official site also highlighted Hart’s play as a central factor in the win. (nhl.com) ### How balanced was the Vegas offense? Four different Golden Knights scored, and seven Vegas players recorded one assist each, according to the CBS Sports box score and game coverage. That distribution underscored that the opener did not hinge on a single scorer. (sportsnet.ca) Hockey-Reference’s series page lists Vegas ahead 1-0 after Game 1 and shows the opener as a road win against a Colorado team that finished the regular season 55-16-11. Vegas entered the series as the lower seed after a 39-26-17 regular season. (cbssports.com) ### What was Colorado missing in Game 1? Cale Makar did not play for Colorado because of an undisclosed injury, NHL.com reported. USA Today’s game coverage also described the Avalanche as Makar-less in the opener. Colorado still generated offense, but the Avalanche could not erase the second-period deficit. (hockey-reference.com) NHL.com said Vegas’ road win came despite Colorado’s shot volume and home-ice edge at Ball Arena. ### What comes next in the series? Game 2 is scheduled for Friday, May 22, at Ball Arena in Denver, according to Hockey-Reference and CBS Sports. (nhl.com) Vegas enters that game with a 1-0 series lead after taking the opener on the road. CBS Sports listed Colorado as the home team again for the second game before the series shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 on May 24. Hockey-Reference’s series schedule lists Game 4 for May 26, with Games 5 through 7, if necessary, set for May 28, May 30 and June 1. (cbssports.com) (hockey-reference.com)