Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketplayGreg Wyshynski’s 3 keys to Knights-Avs WCF (1:17)Greg Wyshynski discusses the major things to watch for ahead of the Golden Knights and Avalanche facing off in the Western Conference final. (1:17)ESPN staffMay 20, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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Nine days after the Carolina Hurricanes earned their spot in the Eastern Conference finals, they finally found out who their opponent will be as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime in Game 7 on Monday night.
The Hurricanes and the Canadiens will square off beginning Thursday night for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final. The other spot will be determined by the Western Conference finals matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, which begins Wednesday on ESPN.
We officially have the schedule for the next round and expert picks for these two series. Here’s a look at some keys to the matchup from ESPN Research, along with a best bet for Game 1 and updated playoff stats leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Experts’ picks
Conference finals megapreview
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
Wednesday’s schedule
Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche
Game 1, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2025-26 as the team with the most regular-season points (121). It is seeking to become the first Presidents’ Trophy winner to win the Stanley Cup since the Chicago Blackhawks did it in 2013.
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The Avs have an 0-1 record against the Golden Knights in their history, losing in six games in the second round of the 2021 playoffs.
Seventeen different players have scored a goal for Colorado this postseason, which is the seventh time a team has had that many (or more) players score a goal through the first nine games of a single postseason. The others: 1983 Calgary Flames, 1985 Blackhawks, 1987 Montreal Canadiens, 1988 Flames, 1988 Boston Bruins (who had 18) and 1993 Los Angeles Kings.
Leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon has a 1.44 points-per-game average this postseason, which raised his playoff career points-per-game rate (1.31 heading into the 2026 playoffs).
Scott Wedgewood’s 2.21 goals-against average is second-best among remaining goaltenders, while his .914 save percentage is tied for fourth.
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The Golden Knights became the fourth club in the modern era (since 1944) with five “final four” berths in its first 10 seasons, joining the New York Islanders (7), Edmonton Oilers (5) and Philadelphia Flyers (5).
Expect lots of offense! Colorado has averaged the most goals per game (4.11), while Vegas is third, at 3.67.
Mitch Marner had his fifth multipoint game of the 2026 playoffs in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks, which ties his career high for most such games in a single postseason (2023, with Toronto).
With his third short-handed goal of the 2026 playoffs, Brett Howden has entered into an eight-way tie atop the single-postseason leaderboard in NHL history.
Wednesday’s best bet
The bet: Golden Knights and Avalanche under 6.5 (-130)
The Avalanche are coming off a series that averaged 8.4 goals per game with the Wild, but this is a significantly different matchup. Vegas allowed the second fewest shots on goal per game during the regular season, they don’t take a lot of penalties, and even when they do they have a sturdy penalty kill unit. The same strengths can be applied to Colorado.
It shouldn’t surprise then that two of the three regular-season matchups between the two finished under this total, including the only game in Colorado. In fact, each of the last nine games played between Vegas and Colorado at Ball Arena have finished under the closing total. — Tyler Fulghum
Playoff scoring leaders
PlayerGPGAP1. Mitch Marner, F, Golden Knights
Click here for full list of stats leaders.
Playoff goaltending leaders
PlayerGPWGAASV%1. Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes
Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.
Stanley Cup playoff bracket
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