Avalanche fall 4-2 to Vegas in Western Conference Final Opener
Too little, too late.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 20: Jack Eichel #9 of the Vegas Golden Knights reacts after assisting on a goal during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in Game One of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on May 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche opened the Western Conference Final without superstar defenseman Cale Makar on Wednesday night, and the difference was noticeable in a 4-2 Game 1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena.
Colorado pushed late with third-period goals from Valeri Nichushkin and captain Gabriel Landeskog, but Vegas controlled much of the game and capitalized on their opportunities to take an early series lead. First Period The opening 20 minutes were scoreless, though both teams generated quality chances. Vegas entered the night having scored in the first period in each of its previous four playoff games, but Scott Wedgewood helped keep the Golden Knights off the board early.
The Avalanche goaltender made several key saves in the first period, including a strong stop on a dangerous Vegas rush that energized the Ball Arena crowd. Colorado had moments offensively, but the Avalanche struggled to consistently break through Vegas’ structure without Makar in the lineup. The Golden Knights controlled stretches of possession and kept Colorado from establishing much sustained pressure.
Second Period Vegas broke through midway through the second period when depth defenseman Dylan Coghlan converted on a rush chance and scored his first goal of the postseason to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later, Pavel Dorofeyev added to the advantage on a power-play goal after a slick setup from Mitch Marner, extending the lead to 2-0. It was his 10th score of the postseason giving the young sniper the NHL lead in goals.