Golden Knights vs Avalanche: Preview, Predictions, and Key Matchups for Wednesday Night Hockey

The Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche are set to face off in a highly anticipated Western Conference matchup on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at Ball Arena in Denver. This game promises to be an exciting clash between two of the NHL’s top teams.

The Colorado Avalanche, currently standing at 12-10-0, enter this game as favorites with betting odds of -170, despite recent goaltending struggles and a significant 8-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in their last outing. The Avalanche are looking to rebound from this defeat, with superstar center Nathan MacKinnon expected to play a crucial role. MacKinnon has been dominant against the Golden Knights, averaging five shots on goal in his last 10 games against them, and is particularly effective at home.

The Vegas Golden Knights, with a record of 14-6-2, are on a roll, having won three straight games and five of their last seven. They have been scoring consistently, averaging 3.86 goals per game, which ranks fourth in the NHL. Key players like Jack Eichel, who has scored in three straight games, will be crucial in this matchup. Eichel has 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) in 22 games and is a significant threat against the Avalanche.

The game is expected to be high-scoring, with the total goals line set at 6.5. Both teams have explosive offenses but struggle with defense, particularly the Golden Knights who rank 26th in shot suppression and 28th in expected goals allowed over their last 10 games. The Avalanche have also had issues with secondary scoring beyond MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, which could impact their performance.

In terms of lineups, the Golden Knights will feature a strong lineup with players like Ivan Barbashev, Tomas Hertl, and William Karlsson, while the Avalanche will rely on their top line of Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen. Notable injuries for the Golden Knights include Ben Hutton, Victor Olofsson, and Mark Stone, while the Avalanche are dealing with injuries to Jonathan Drouin, Ross Colton, Gabriel Landeskog, and Tucker Poolman.

The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT, MAX, ALT, and SN360, starting at 10:00 PM Eastern Time. Given the recent form and historical matchups between these teams, this game is expected to be closely contested and potentially high-scoring.