Golden Knights-Avalanche Game 1 takeaways, grades, early look at Game 2Kristen ShiltonMay 20, 2026, 11:20 PM ETClose
- Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.
The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights went back and forth through the early moments of Game 1 until it was clear that the Golden Knights were ready to roll.
They built a 3-0 lead, and held on for a 4-2 win to open the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night in Denver.
Vegas Golden Knights
Grade: B+
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What else can we make of the Golden Knights except that they are excellent? The Golden Knights finally broken the ice in Game 1 in the second period and then added the next two goals to build a 3-0 lead. The Western Conference Final looks like it will be a tough challenge. Yet Vegas always seems to find a way.
Colorado Avalanche
Grade: B-
Colorado is better than what it exhibited in Game 1. This is a deep team with Nathan MacKinnon leading the way. It felt like the Avalanche were showing some rust after a longer than ideal layoff. However, this group is resilient. Getting into the groove again will help them without a doubt and no one — other than the Montreal Canadiens — have done a better job adjusting in-series than the Avs.
Players to watch in Game 2
Scott Wedgewood
G, Avalanche
It’s crazy that we are even remotely questioning the Avalanche’s netminder but it feels like Wedgewood has shouldered an undue burden this postseason to be (almost) perfect if Colorado expects to move on. Wedgewood entered this series with a 7-1 record, .914 SV% and 2.21 GAA — those are exquisite numbers by any stretch. But the way Carter Hart is performing at the other end — .917 SV%, 2.37 GAA — it’s clear there will be a goaltending battle ahead here.
What matters is who can shoulder that pressure and turn it into some sort of power. Can Wedgewood do that moving forward? Absolutely.
Pavel Dorofeyev
F, Golden Knights
Maybe you don’t know enough about Dorofeyev. But he has showed up for Vegas in the playoffs. He scored a goal in Game 1 against Colorado to add to the nine he already had in the postseason keep then Golden Knights humming along.
At this stage o the playoffs it is all about who can show up on a secondary level and Dorofeyev is showing out in a big way. If Vegas stars — like Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner — can’t always be relied on to light the lamp then they need a secondary scorer to keep making a difference.
Big questions for Game 2
How will the Avalanche continue to manage without Cale Makar?
It’s one thing to have an all-world defenseman out for a single game; it’s another thing to wonder if he’s coming back any time soon.
Makar missed Game 1 and is day-to-day with an injury following what looked like an arm ailment suffered in Game 5 of Colorado’s second-round series against Minnesota — but sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Makar is dealing with multiple issues. What does that mean for his availability moving forward?
One of the Avalanche’s strengths is their consistent defensive performance. While they showed up in that respect throughout Game 1 against Vegas, having Makar (or not) is a game-changer. It doesn’t benefit coach Jared Bednar to reveal anything about his players’ status too soon, but Colorado has to be wondering whether Makar can get back into the lineup for Game 2 — because a Makar at even a fraction of his full strength is better than most defensemen you can find in the league.
Vegas is a vibe, but is there such a thing as too much confidence?
The Golden Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game 1 and while the reigning Presidents Trophy winners have been excellent all season, there is no denying that Vegas outperformed them on Wednesday. And so, the Golden Knights have to prepare themselves for a pushback.
How Vegas responds to a weathered Avalanche crew will be a big deal ahead of Game 2.
