Golden Knights’ Playoff Gameday Preview: WCF Game 4 vs. Avalanche

Welcome to another Vegas Golden Knights’ Playoff Gameday Preview. The Golden Knights are just one win away from making their third trip to the Stanley Cup Final. They lead the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche 3-0 in the Western Conference Final with a chance to close it out at home on Tuesday, and we know T-Mobile Arena will be loud. Here’s our Game 4 breakdown.

Golden Knights’ Playoff Gameday Preview: Game 4 vs. Avalanche (Vegas Leads, 3-0)

In Game 3 on Sunday, the Golden Knights had to erase a 3-goal deficit to take a stranglehold on the series. The Avalanche took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission, but a three-goal second period from the Golden Knights tied the game heading into the third, and Tomas Hertl scored the game-winning goal at the eight-minute mark before Brett Howden scored into the empty net to seal the 5-3 win.

This was just the latest example of Vegas’s resilience in these playoffs, and head coach John Tortorella praised his team‘s effort:

“They’re not afraid. Something we’ve tried to stress is don’t be afraid to make a mistake. They’re not afraid of any of that. I think they just have an uncanny ability to stay together. … Having said all that, we can’t get too carried away. It’s a very important win for us, the kind we want.”

Game 4 Projected Lineup (Subject to Change)

• Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
• Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
• Tomas Hertl – Colton Sissons – Mark Stone
• Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
• Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
• Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
• Dylan Coghlan – Kaedan Korczak
• Carter Hart/Adin Hill

Team Leaders

Marner leads the Golden Knights in points with 21 and plus/minus with a plus-13. Dorofeyev and Howden are tied for the team lead in goals. Eichel continues to lead in assists with 16. The leader in penalty minutes is now Smith (20), who leapfrogged McNabb (19).

In goal, Hart has a 2.30 goals-against average (GAA) and a .923 save percentage (SV%).

Storyline #1 – Health

Both teams returned to full strength for Game 3. Stone returned for the Golden Knights, while Cale Makar returned for the Avalanche. Stone recorded a goal in his return, while Makar recorded 27:14 of ice time.

However, the Avalanche might have suffered another loss. Nathan MacKinnon played limited minutes after blocking a shot in the second period, mainly playing on the power play. If MacKinnon and Makar are not at 100%, it will be a very tough hill for the Avalanche to climb going forward.

The Golden Knights are winning the health battle at the moment. They need to take advantage of that. They have played very well without Stone, but his return made them even more dangerous.

Storyline #2 – Score First

The Golden Knights have done just fine in the last two games without scoring the first goal. However, that is not a formula for success. In Game 2, the Golden Knights trailed most of the game before finally breaking through in the third period. In Game 3, the deficit was even larger, but the team managed to overcome it. Great teams do that in the playoffs. It’s just another example of their resilience, something we have highlighted multiple times already in these previews.

In Game 4, the Golden Knights need to score first and put pressure on the Avalanche and see if they panic and force plays. If the Avalanche score first, that may settle them down and stick to the game plan that won them the Presidents’ Trophy this season.

The Golden Knights will have the crowd behind them on Tuesday. If they score early, the arena will erupt.

Storyline #3 – Finish the Avs

The Golden Knights cannot afford to flirt with history. They have the opportunity to reach the Final with a single victory. They need to do it. The Avalanche are a dangerous team that is more than capable of rattling off four straight wins. Vegas can’t afford to give them any breathing room.

Finishing off the Avs in Game 4 would also allow the Golden Knights, and specifically Stone, some time to rest before the Stanley Cup Final. It can be debated whether or not extra rest is a good thing, especially after Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, but with a chance to move on, Vegas needs to take advantage.

How to Watch

Game 4 starts at 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time. It can be viewed on ESPN.

Be sure to check back with The Hockey Writers for more coverage of the Western and Eastern Conference Finals.