There will be no love lost between two of the NHL’s top teams in this Valentine’s day tilt. For the first time this season, the Colorado Avalanche take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the first of a four-game series. The Golden Knights are favored to start the series. Colorado won both meetings last season, outscoring Vegas 13-4 in the process.
- Date/Time: February 14, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Arena: T-Mobile Arena
- TV Coverage: NBCS
- Sportsbook Odds: Vegas -138 | O/U 6 (Line History)
- Avalanche vs Golden Knights (Matchup Report)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The game opened with the Vegas Golden Knights as favorites at -138 and the line can now be found around even odds at some sportsbooks, while the line has not been posted at others as we await news on the status of Vegas goalie Robin Lehner. The total opened at 6 and can be found at either 5.5 or 6 depending on the book.
Colorado News & Notes
Sunday’s game will be Colorado’s first in twelve days as it has not played since February 2, due to COVID-19-related postponements.
Everyone knows about the firepower the Avs possess – led by superstar center Nathan MacKinnon and his fourteen points this season – but Colorado has been especially proficient at preventing goals this season. Only four teams have allowed fewer goals than the Avalanche at even strength this season and only two teams have allowed fewer overall scoring chances and high danger chances at even strength.
Goaltender Philip Grubauer has been a big part of the stingy defense this season as he is now 7-2-0 to start the season with a .934 save percentage with two shutouts. Grubauer has allowed just fifteen goals this season in nine games.
The problem for the Avs is the injuries have piled up despite the time off. MacKinnon, Eric Johnson, Matt Calvert, Gabriel Landeskog, Sam Girard, Devon Toews and Tyson Jost are all banged up and have missed various amounts of time. MacKinnon and Toews are probable for Sunday.
Vegas News & Notes
The Vegas Golden Knights have been almost equally as stingy on defense this season as the Avalanche. The Golden Knights rank in the top ten in goals against, overall scoring chances and high-danger chances at even strength this season.
However, the Knights have been stronger offensively this season than the Avalanche as they also rank top ten in the league in high-danger chances for percentage (HDCF%), scoring chances for percentage (SCF%) and goals at even strength. Mark Stone leads the team with fifteen points in eleven games this season and winger Max Pacioretty leads the team with six goals in that span.
The goaltending has been split between veterans Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner with Fleury putting up the better numbers thus far. Fleury has a 5-1-0 record with a .929 save percentage while Lehner is 3-1-1 with a .890 SV% and picked up an injury before Thursday’s game.
He missed Saturday’s game as well and should be considered questionable for this matchup. That is a situation that bettors need to watch closely. Top defenseman Shea Theodore also missed Saturday’s game and is questionable for Sunday.
Betting Pick: OVER 5.5
There is a good chance Vegas is forced to start third-string goalie Oscar Dansk on Sunday. It would be his first start of the season and fifth in the league. If Dansk gets the nod, we like both the OVER and the Avalanche in this game but feel more confident in the OVER with all the firepower on both teams and the fact that the Avs haven’t played in twelve days.
- The OVER is 13-7 in Colorado's last 20 games.
- Colorado is 13-7 SU in its last 20 road games.
- The OVER is 7-3 in Vegas' last 10 games.
