ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Washington Capitals re-signed defenseman Timothy Liljegren to a two-year contract worth $6.5 million.

General manager Chris Patrick announced the deal Wednesday. Liljegren will count $3.25 million against the salary cap next season and in 2027-28.

The right-handed-shooting Swede played just four games for the Capitals after they acquired him from San Jose at the trade deadline in early March. He could have a bigger role next season as part of a blue line that is not expected to have John Carlson back after Washington sent the pending free agent to Anaheim on the eve of the deadline.

Now 27, Liljegren has 94 points in 324 regular season and playoff games in the NHL, with the vast majority of that time spent with Toronto.

The biggest question of the offseason for Patrick and the front office is the status of longtime captain, face of the franchise and career goal-scoring record holder Alex Ovechkin, who has not yet declared whether he'll return for a 22nd season at age 41.

___

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The Montreal Canadiens have taken a very different path to the Eastern Conference Final than the Carolina Hurricanes, but they arrive with real reasons for optimism despite being sizable underdogs.

From clutch-game resilience and overtime poise, to a perfect response record after losses, this group has consistently found ways to rebound.

Add in strong coaching, steady identity, and playoff composure, and Montreal has legitimate belief heading into Round 3 despite being underdogs in the NHL odds.

Why Habs fans should have hope

• Time for Suzuki/Caufield to show up?
• Dobes continues to stand tall
• Rest vs. Rust
• ECF is the Canes' kryptonite
• Not your average group of kids

Five reasons Canadiens fans should be optimistic

The top line hasn’t even shown up yet at 5-on-5

The Montreal Canadiens have eight wins in the postseason, and of the team’s 27 even-strength goals, only one has come off the sticks of Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.

That top line, alongside Nick Suzuki, accounted for 72 total even-strength goals during the regular season, or 37% of all the team’s goals at even strength. It’s not as if Caufield and Slafkovsky have done nothing, though, as they’ve still contributed seven of the Habs’ 13 power-play goals through 14 playoff games.

This team is getting scoring from its middle six, but the offense still hasn’t played its best postseason hockey. Everything on that top line runs through Suzuki, who is still sitting at +3000 to win the Conn Smythe.

With how heavily head coach Martin St. Louis is leaning on his center, leading this series in points at +350, the betting favorite makes sense.

Canadiens odds to lead ECF in points

Player
Nick Suzuki	+350
Cole Caufield	+550
Lane Hutson	+700
Juraj Slafkovsky	+1500

Jakub Dobes

The goalie landscape in the NHL has changed. Gone are the days of riding your No. 1 for 70% of the season. All four starting goalies in the Conference Final were not their team’s No. 1 option early in the year.

Jakub Dobes has gone on an incredible run ever since Montreal changed goalie coaches on January 28 and brought in Marco Marciano. The rookie netminder closed the regular season at 13-5-1 with a 2.57 GAA and a .914 SV%, a notable jump from his earlier marks of a 2.96 GAA and .890 SV% before the change.

His 0.776 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes trails only three playoff goaltenders with at least three games played.

The eerie part is Montreal’s history with rookie goalies making playoff magic. Some guy named Patrick Roy won the Cup in his rookie season back in 1985-86, going 15-5 with a .923 SV%. He wasn’t even the first to do it. 

Ken Dryden led the Habs to a Cup in 1970-71 after appearing in just six regular-season games. Dryden played in two Game 7s across three playoff series that year, with Montreal playing in 20 of a possible 21 playoff games. Sound familiar?

Both Roy and Dryden walked away with the Conn Smythe in their Cup-winning rookie runs. Dobes enters the Eastern Conference Final at +1900 to win the Conn Smythe, and Martin St. Louis appears ready to ride him the rest of the way.

Rest vs. Rust

I hate this term more than anything, but you might never see a more classic “rest vs. rust” ECF setup. One team is coming off back-to-back Game 7 wins, while its Round 3 opponent rolled in at a perfect 8-0 SU. It’s the longest break between playoff series since 1919.

The Carolina Hurricanes haven’t played a game since May 9 — an 11-day layoff — while the Canadiens at least get a chance to catch their breath after taking Game 7 in Buffalo on Monday.

Teams coming off a Game 7 win and facing a team coming off a sweep are 8-1 SU in all series since 2000.

Montreal is +250 to win the series at BET99, the best available price.

Canadiensvs Hurricanes

May 21 • NHL ECF

Series Prediction

Canadiens to win series (+250)

Bet now at img src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/82/bet99_bg.svg" alt="BET99" style="display: block; height: 44px; width: auto; max-width: 160px; object-fit: contain; border-radius: 4px;"

Freddy, the Bod, and the Canes’ semifinal track record

Things in the Eastern Conference Final have not been good for anyone associated with the Hurricanes since the days of Ron Francis. You could say this team has metaphorically pissed all over themselves when they are eight wins away from the Cup.

We have seen this early-playoff form from Frederik Andersen before. Just last year, he entered the ECF with elite numbers, much like this season, and fell flat, posting sub-.840 SV% numbers over four games before getting pulled.

He is 4-10 SU in the third round over his career.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour may be running out of runway if he can’t break through this stage. Since taking over in Carolina, he's 0-3 in Round 3 across seven postseason appearances, and an even more concerning 1-12 SU in those series combined, despite going 24-8 SU through the first two rounds.

Don’t read too much into Carolina’s 8-0 SU start, as their path to this point has come against noticeably softer competition than the Canadiens have faced. The Canes are not walking all over their third straight opponent.

Odds for which game the Canadiens will win the series in

Result
Canadiens in 4	+3000
Canadiens in 5	+1500
Canadiens in 6	+850
Canadiens in 7	+725

Youth that's been tested under pressure

That Canadiens might be one of the youngest teams in the NHL, but this is a group that has handled every situation this season. They don’t panic down multiple goals late, they can win in overtime, and they have shown an ability to respond immediately after poor performances.

There’s a reason they are 5-0 SU this playoffs following a loss.

This might be one of the best-coached teams in hockey, and it’s a shame St. Louis didn’t receive more Coach of the Year attention.

There’s a reason this group has been labeled the “Cardiac Kids,” and it’s because adversity doesn’t seem to affect them — something the playoffs have made very clear.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have had 11 days to rest before the start of their third-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, and even though they are 8-0 So far in these playoffs, winning the Conference Final could still prove to be tricky. Since 2018-19, the Canes have reached the third round three times and have failed to make it through to the Stanley Cup Final.

In those three third-round series, they have a 1-12 record. In 2018-17, they were swept by the Boston Bruins, who would go on to lose the Final to the St. Louis Blues. In 2022-23, they were swept by the Florida Panthers, who would go on to lose the Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights. Finally, in 2024-25, they lost to those same Panthers 4-1, before Matthew Tkachuk and co. won the Cup.

ESPN Betting Against Canadiens In Eastern Conference Final Big Time
Is It Time For The Canadiens To Try Demidov On The Top Line?
The Dobes Spring Is In Full Swing For The Canadiens

While one would be right to point out that there have been many personnel changes on the Hurricanes since they reached the first Conference Final under Rod Brind’Amour, the coach remains the same, and the starting goaltender is the same as in those last two occasions.

In 2022-23, Andersen played three of the four Conference Final games, losing them all. However, he had a .950 save percentage in the first game, a .941 in the second and a .833 in the last one.

Then, in 2024-25, he played four of the five games of the third-round series; he had a 20-save shutout in the sole win, but in the other three games, he gave up five goals once and four goals twice. In those three games, his SV stood at .750 twice and .833 once. Until the ECF, his SV was .931.

Fast forward to this year, and he has a 1.12 goals-against average and a .950 SV in eight games. However, in the series-clinching win against the Philadelphia Flyers, he let in two goals on 17 shots for a .882 SV.

Will the Canes’ 11 days off have allowed him to work through his ECF demons? Or has he spent them obsessing over the ghost of playoffs past? Furthermore, the veteran netminder has appeared in only 35 games this season, and he’s had more than his fair share of injury troubles over the years. Can he be consistent over the course of this whole postseason? The Canes better hope so, but at this stage, it feels like Andersen hasn’t really been tested after facing the Ottawa Senators and the Flyers in the first two rounds.

Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes has an 8-6 record in these playoffs, with a 2.52 GAA and a .910 SV%. He has had a few rough games in the first two series, but generally, he has been clutch for the Canadiens and has bounced back (or forward, as Martin St-Louis would say) every time he faltered. Furthermore, he did win his three duels against the Hurricanes this season, allowing eight goals for a 2.67 GAA and a .922 SV. As for Andersen, he lost both of his games against the Habs, posting a 3.73 GAA and an .806 SV.

If the Canes are to finally overcome this bump in the road that has given them so much trouble over the years, they will need Andersen to be at his very best and leave the past in the past.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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The Carolina Hurricanes are set to kick off their Eastern Conference Final series against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The Hurricanes will be looking to stay perfect this post-season by defeating the Habs in Game 1. 

The Hurricanes have undoubtedly had an excellent start to the playoffs. After finishing this season at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, the Hurricanes swept both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers this post-season.

Due to this, it is not surprising that they are viewed as the favorites heading into their series against the Canadiens. 

ESPN certainly has high hopes for the Hurricanes heading into the Eastern Conference Final. This is because 21 out of 23 ESPN staff members have picked the Hurricanes to defeat the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final. 

With the Hurricanes having an incredibly deep roster and having such a hot start to the playoffs, it is understandable that they are being viewed as favorites by ESPN right now. While this is the case, the Canadiens cannot be taken lightly, as they have knocked out two very good teams in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres this post-season. 

It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can knock out the Canadiens from here. 

The Vegas Golden Knights face the Colorado Avalanche, in the opener of the NHL’s Western Conference finals. The Golden Knights advanced to the West finals by beating the Anaheim Ducks in six games. The Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild in five games. The Avalanche are favored with a -193 moneyline compared to the Golden Knights' +160.

How to watch Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche

• Date: Wednesday, May 20

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

• TV Channels: ESPN, Spor, CBC, TVAS

• Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Colorado Avalanche -1.5

• Moneyline: Colorado Avalanche -193 (63.1%) / Vegas Golden Knights +160 (36.9%)

• Over/Under: 6.5

The Buffalo Sabres held end-of-season media availabilities on Wednesday after their Game 7 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, with a number of off-season questions like whether pending UFA winger Alex Tuch will re-sign, but another looming question was answered before GM Jarmo Kekalainen met with reporters, as the club announced that head coach Lindy Ruff has been signed to a two-year contract extension. 

Ruff was the winningest head coach in Sabres history after a 16-year stint from 1997 to 2013 that saw the club reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 and three Eastern Conference Finals in 1998, 2006, and 2007. After being fired by the New Jersey Devils late in the 2023-24 season, the 66-year-old returned to Buffalo after an 11-year absence on a two-year deal; the same term that was remaining on his contract with the Devils.  

The Sabres posted a 50-23-9 record (109 points) in 2025-26, the most points by Buffalo in one season since their President’s Trophy-winning season in 2006-07. The club won the Atlantic Division and Ruff earned a nomination as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

In their first playoff appearance since 2011, Buffalo eliminated the Boston Bruins in six games in the first round, winning three games on the road at TD Garden, and in the second round, pushed the Montreal Canadiens to Game 7, when Alex Newhook scored in overtime to end the Sabres season. 

There had been some speculation before this season that Ruff would finish out his contract and would then be elevated to an advisory role, but the fourth all-time winningest head coach in NHL history seemed invigorated by leading the young Buffalo club to the post-season. After Monday’s loss, John Wawrow of Associated Press indicated that all signs were pointing to Ruff returning behind the bench and that the decision was up to him.

Many of the Sabres players on locker cleanout day pointed to Ruff keeping them accountable as one of the main reasons for the club’s improvement this season.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Winnipeg Jets will host a 2026 NHL Draft Party at Canada Life Centre on Friday, June 26, giving fans the opportunity to watch the club make the eighth overall selection in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Several notable Jets prospects are expected to attend the event, including Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow and Sascha Boumedienne. Alumni and other team personalities are also scheduled to appear for autograph sessions and panel discussions throughout the evening.

Tickets become available Friday morning through Ticketmaster. Admission includes a beverage, a meal and a commemorative 2026 NHL Draft souvenir item. The organization is also offering an early-access pre-sale for season ticket holders.

The event will feature live entertainment, giveaways, merchandise opportunities and food and beverage options on the arena floor. Doors are set to open at 5 p.m., with the NHL Draft beginning one hour later.

This year’s draft will take place in Buffalo, with Round 1 scheduled for June 26 and Rounds 2-7 following on June 27. NHL clubs will once again operate remotely from their home markets under the league’s decentralized draft format.

The Jets currently hold seven selections in the 2026 draft, including one pick in each of the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, along with two seventh-round picks.

Should Winnipeg's management staff consider holding onto its first round pick, the Jets will be selecting at No. 8 overall. There is speculation, however, that the team is considering trading up for an NHL-ready player or trading down for a roster player who could immediately impact the team as early as the 2026-27 season. 

Trevor Linden had a very eventful NHL career both on and off the ice. This included being elected NHLPA President in 1998, which was a title he held until 2006. During his time as President, Linden was at the forefront during the 2004-05 lockout, and helped negotiate a new CBA that saw the league return to action after. 

After the Vancouver Canucks fired Head Coach Adam Foote on Tuesday, Linden appeared on Sportsnet 650 to speak about Vancouver's new management group. The 56-year-old spoke about the Sedins and Ryan Johnson being a united front, and how he did not have the same support during his tenure as President of Hockey Operations from 2014 to 2018. To this day, Linden is well respected by Canucks fans and is someone people in the market enjoy listening to when he does radio hits. 

A day after the clip was posted, NHL Agent and Co-Managing Director of Octagon-Hockey Allan Walsh took to social media to share his thoughts on Linden. In a post on "X", Walsh wrote, "Trevor Linden and “presenting a united front” should never be uttered in the same sentence. One of the persons most responsible for going behind the back of NHLPA leadership to strike a deal with Gary on a triple hard salary cap with escrow. Cost players billions of dollars."

Walsh currently represents over 25 players in the NHL. Among them is Canucks defenceman Filip Hronek, who signed an eight-year extension worth $58 million in 2024. Other notable players that Walsh represents include Jonathan Huberdeau, Jonathan Drouin and JJ Peterka.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

'We Know We're Going To Get A Really Good Hockey Player': Canucks GM Ryan Johnson Is Confident In His Scouting Team Ahead Of The 2026 NHL Entry Draft

Why Firing Adam Foote Was The Right Move For The Vancouver Canucks

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In a positive development, just hours before the Golden Knights will open their Western Conference Final against Presidents' Trophy winner Colorado Avalanche, captain Mark Stone took the ice Wednesday morning in Denver, with what appeared to be the Golden Knights' scratches.

Stone suffered a lower-body injury on May 8 during Game 3 in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks, and then missed the last three games of the conference semifinal.

The 34-year-old veteran hadn't practiced with the Knights since.

"There's no update on injuries right now," Vegas coach John Tortorella said.

The Knights, who are playing in their fifth conference finals in nine seasons, open their series with the Avalanche at 5 pm pacific.

While Vegas was able to get past the pesky Ducks in six games without Stone for the last week of the series, the challenge is greater against an Avalanche team that is 8-1 in the postseason, including a perfect 6-0 in Denver.

Through nine playoff games, Stone had seven points (3 goals, 4 assists). Vegas is 6-3 with Stone on the ice.

And while Stone's return to the lineup seemingly on the horizon, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar announced the team will be without all-star defenseman Cale Makar for Game 1 of the Western Conference final.

Makar is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, though Bednar said his superstar blue liner is expected to play at some point in the series.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) controls the puck in front of Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) during the third period of game one of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.

The Montreal Canadiens kick off their Eastern Conference Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The Habs will be looking to start their series against the Hurricanes on the right foot by winning Game 1 and handing Carolina their first loss of the playoffs. 

With the Canadiens preparing for Game 1, they had practice on Wednesday. However, while the Habs practiced on Wednesday, head coach Martin St. Louis was not there.

According to TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie, St. Louis was not at the team's practice due to family reasons. 

St. Louis has done an excellent job with the Canadiens during his fifth year with the organization. He led the Habs to a 48-24-10 record and 106 points. He also has helped lead the Canadiens past the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres this post-season, so it has been a special year for the 50-year-old behind the bench.

In 365 games as the Canadiens' head coach over five seasons, St. Louis has a 163-155-47 record. 

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The Vegas Golden Knights are in Denver to take on the No. 1-seeded Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Highlighted by star winger Martin Necas, let's take a look at my three Golden Knights vs. Avalanche goal scorer predictions and NHL picks for May 20.

Golden Knights vs Avalanche goal scorer predictions for Game 1

Player to score a goal	Odds
Martin Necas	+155
Brock Nelson	+285
Jack Eichel	+220
💲Goal scorer parlay	+1500

Goal scorer pick: Martin Necas (+155)

Martin Necas was an elite finisher in the regular season, scoring 38 times on 27 expected goals. Outperforming his xG is nothing new – Necas scored 27 goals on 20.5 expected last year, and 24 on 19.8 the season prior.

He is an exceptional shooter who consistently scores at rates higher than the norm, yet he has one playoff goal despite generating 26 chances and 2.8 expected goals.

Necas has generated plenty of looks. They just haven’t gone for him, and it’s only a matter of time before that changes.

It’s also worth noting that Necas scored three times over three regular-season meetings with the Vegas Golden Knights, with his multi-goal performance coming against Carter Hart.

Expect Necas’ success to continue in this series, starting tonight.

Goal scorer pick: Brock Nelson (+285)

Hart really struggled with high-danger shots during the regular season, posting a .761 save percentage on those looks, ranking 68th among 70 netminders to play at least 700 minutes at 5-on-5.

Brock Nelson is a prime candidate to take advantage. He ranked second on the Colorado Avalanche in high-danger opportunities this season, and the vast majority of his shot volume comes from directly around the net.

Nelson also has a great track record of shot-generation against the Golden Knights and other strong shot-suppression teams.

He generated multiple shots on net in all three regular-season meetings. More noteworthy, Nelson has averaged 2.6 shots on net and recorded multiple SOG in nine of his last 10 against Top-10 shot suppression sides.

Goal scorer pick: Jack Eichel (+220)

Jack Eichel has piled up the assists during the playoffs, but don’t let that fool you: he’s been a very active shooter.

Eichel leads the Golden Knights in shot attempts and shots on goal but has scored just one time due to an unsustainably low 2.86% shooting percentage.

He scored on 10.38% of his shots in the regular season and has converted on at least 10% of his looks in all five seasons with the Golden Knights. He is an obvious regression candidate.

That could come sooner than later against an Avalanche team that is suddenly struggling to get saves. 

They posted the worst save percentage of any team in the second round, and it wasn’t just one guy. Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood both struggled at points and were pulled from the net as a result.

Golden Knights vs Avalanche anytime goal parlay

• Martin Necas 
• Brock Nelson
• Jack Eichel

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The Chicago Blackhawks made 11 selections in the 2023 NHL Draft. 2 of them were in the first round, 4 were in the top 50, and 8 were in the top 100.

The Chicago Blackhawks also kicked off the draft by taking Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats with the first overall pick. 

Three full seasons later, it is clear that this draft has the potential to be an incredible class for the organization. There are already a handful of players who have roles in the NHL ahead of schedule, with more on the way. The class is as follows:

1. - Connor Bedard

19. - Oliver Moore

35. - Adam Gajan

44. - Roman Kantserov

55. - Martin Misiak

67. - Nick Lardis

93. - Jiri Felcman

99. - Alex Pharand

131. - Marcel Marcel

167. - Milton Oscarson

195. - Janne Peltonen

Connor Bedard is the star that the Blackhawks selected him to be. He is also far from being a finished product in his development. He is trending towards being an elite number one center on a contending team. It’s only a matter of time, and maybe a linemate or two, before he becomes known amongst the league’s best. 

Oliver Moore was the other first-round pick from 2023. He is arguably the fastest player that the Chicago Blackhawks have in the entire organization, and his skills match his speed. He is a diverse forward who gives an honest effort at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill. Moore’s speed is always going to be the number one thing people bring up, but as soon as his production starts to climb, he has the potential to be a high-end middle-six winger. 

At 35th overall, the Blackhawks made a goalie selection. Adam Gajan is a Slovakian net-minder who has really ascended as a young player within the pipeline. Playing for the University of Minnesota, he was one of the best goalies in college hockey during the 2025-26 season. He didn’t dress, but he was even named to be an Olympian with Team Slovakia in Milano Cortina. 

Roman Kantserov, whom the Chicago Blackhawks selected 44th overall, may be the biggest steal of the Kyle Davidson era. There is a long way to go, but he put up some incredibly encouraging numbers in the KHL, including leading the league in goals. Kantserov has top-line winger potential, and he may get a crack at it as soon as opening night. 

As far as other prospects from 2023 that Chicago is banking on, Nick Lardis is amongst the quickest risers. He went from being a 3rd round pick to scoring a legendary amount of goals in the OHL with 71 and scoring at a 20-goal pace during his rookie NHL season. Lardis could become one of the best pure snipers on the team with his ability to put the puck in the net from close or far. 

Most of the rest are still trying to impress their way to NHL contracts, which may or may not come for them. Bedard, Moore, Lardis, and Kantserov are safe bets to play on the opening night roster. 

Gajan will start as part of a tandem in the AHL, but it won’t be long before he gets his chance to make his NHL debut. For Misiak, Felcman, Pharand, Marcel, Oscarson, and Peltonen, more time is needed. Roster spots are not as available as they once were, so everything will have to be earned. 

If the Blackhawks get four good forwards and a good depth goaltender out of one draft, it’s a big win. That’s especially true when one of them is a borderline generational talent. Early in the rebuild, these selections were consequential, as we are learning in 2026. By 2030, the draft may look even better. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The Colorado Avalanche, owners of the best record in the NHL during the regular season, could be in trouble for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. Star defenseman Cale Makar will miss Game 1 with an upper body injury. His absence was confirmed by coach Jared Bednar Wednesday, May 20.

Despite Makar being listed as day-to-day, there was always concern that he could miss time during the Western Conferene finals. On Tuesday, Makar's teammate and fellow blueliner Sam Malinski said, "You can’t replace him, and we’re going to miss him out there. Yeah, hopefully we can still get it done without him."

His comments hinted that he knew the team would likely be without Makar.

Previously, Makar missed some time during Game 5 of the Avalanche's series against the Minnesota Wild, but ;later returned. That game happened a week ago. Though many fans believed that would be ample time for the Norris Trophy winner to recover, he clearly needs longer than what was originally anticipated. Here's what we know.

The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are ready to get the Western Conference Final started tonight at Ball Arena in Downtown Denver!

The Golden Knights represent the Pacific Division after series victories over the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks.

The Avalanche have lost just one game so far these playoffs after sweeping the LA Kings and besting the Minnesota Wild in five games, but will go without Norris candidate Cale Makar in game one.

The first chapter of this seven-game series is of the utmost importance, as the winner of game one has gone on to win the playoff series 68.2% of the time (historically speaking).

Colorado Avalanche

There were some pretty glaring questions for the Avalanche coming into this series regarding the health status, namely, regarding Cale Makar.

We have gotten confirmation via an announcement from Jared Bednar that Cale Makar will not play in game one.

This is a heavy blow to Colorado’s backend and likely means that recently recalled Alex Gagne, Jack Achan, or Nick Blankenburg will see playoff action in the bottom pairing. If any other defenders are still hurt, two of them would play.

With that in mind, a commitment to structure and support will be crucial this evening, as the Golden Knights will absolutely look to find favorable matchups.

I have three keys to a Colorado Avalanche victory:

1. Play team-first hockey.
2. Stay out of the penalty box.
3. Thrive in the environment.

Whenever you have guys that haven’t played much NHL hockey, much less playoff hockey, slotted into your backend, a commitment to the process is vital. The process is the fail-safe when a talent advantage may not exist, and the Avalanche take pride in it. That will need to be shown for the Avalanche to win game one.

The Avs have made going to the sin-bin a far too common occurrence in the playoffs so far. Combine that with a clear and concise advantage at five-on-five against the competition so far, and you have plenty of reason to play things straight up. Vegas’ special teams aren’t to be tempted.

Ball Arena should be a madhouse tonight, as many fans still don’t like the Vegas Golden Knights after the 2021 playoff series, and, of course, the Avalanche appear plenty capable of winning it all. The Avs-friendly and raucous environment has the potential to deal a heavy blow to Vegas’ confidence.

Projected Lineup:

Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
ARTTURI LEHKONEN — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy
ROSS COLTON — Nazem Kadri — Valeri Nichushkin
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews — Sam Malinski
Brett Kulak — Brent Burns
Alex Gagne — Josh Manson

Scott Wedgewood
MacKenzie Blackwood

It will be Scott Wedgewood back between the pipes for the Avalanche, which makes sense, seeing as he’s lost just one game these playoffs and came in and shut things down in Colorado’s game five comeback victory against Minny.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Knights have depth, particularly up the middle, and with the Avalanche missing Makar, expect Vegas’ head coach to be pretty active in getting his best skaters favorable matchups against Colorado’s bottom pair.

Torts has brought a lot of security to a team that couldn’t get consistent enough goaltending or results to take a strong hold of their division in the regular season. His arrival has ushered in another era of defensive focus in Vegas, similar to what we saw under Pete DeBoer.

The Golden Knights present as a team capable of shutting things down like the LA Kings, but while having the talent to cash in on limited opportunities.

Mitch Marner leads all point scorers in these playoffs and has been a consistent performer for the Knights. His matchup and the challenges he will face against this Avalanche team are a much taller task than what he saw in the first two rounds, however.

Here are three keys to victory for the Golden Knights:

1. Weather the storm.
2. Establish an early lead.
3. Exploit matchups.

If the Avalanche have a key to victory that plays into the home crowd, the Golden Knights have to have the opposite as a key to their success. Quieting Avalanche fans and making things awkward in the building can frustrate a club.

Vegas has shown the ability to win both low-scoring games and high-scoring games, but they’d be smart to limit Colorado’s flow and chances. Tough to see a goal fest not shaking out in Colorado’s favor.

Projected Lineup:

Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomas Hertl — Colton Sissons
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart
Adin Hill

Carter Hart has been better in the postseason than he was in the regular season, but the gap between his floor and his ceiling is large compared to most starters. He could be one of Vegas best or worst players on any given night. Do with that what you will.