- What: NHL Regular Season Game
- When: Wednesday, October 9th
- Who: Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights
- Time: 7:00 p.m. PST
- Where: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
The Las Vegas Golden Knights will host the Colorado Avalanche in their home opener on Wednesday night. In recent years, the Avalanche and Golden Knights have established themselves as two of the NHL’s elite teams.
The finale of the @NHL_On_TNT and @SportsonMax doubleheader is sure to be intense as the Avalanche and Golden Knights renew acquaintances on the Strip. #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/XBVlmhq67A
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 9, 2024
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a powerhouse team and are considered one of the top contenders in the league. They can win their second Stanley Cup title in four seasons with their impressive roster.
Nathan MacKinnon had a phenomenal season, scoring an impressive 51 goals along with 89 assists. This outstanding performance earned him the prestigious Hart Trophy.
Hungry for another one.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/kaxbZPXXDo
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 9, 2024
Mikko Rantanen also had a standout season, netting 42 goals and contributing 62 assists. Jonathan Drouin proved to be a valuable asset on the third line, recording 19 goals and 37 assists.
The Avs will need supplementary scoring in Gabriel Landeskog’s and Valeri Nischushkin’s absence.
Despite this, the team aims to build on last season, during which it was first in the league, averaging 3.68 goals per game and was one of the top in the league at succeeding on the power play, boasting a 24.9 percent success rate.
Alexandar Georgiev had an up-and-down season, posting a 38-18-5 record with a 3.02 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. He will need his defense to play much better this season.
Cale Makar excels on both ends of the ice, contributing 21 goals and 69 assists, along with 148 blocked shots and 37 hits. Devon Toews has also developed into a key player, adding 12 goals, 38 assists, 74 hits, and 110 blocked shots.
Samuel Girard chipped in with three goals, 15 assists, 76 hits, and 99 blocked shots. Meanwhile, Josh Manson brought physicality to the defense with 211 hits and 109 blocked shots.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights offense won’t look as strong without Jonathan Marchessault leaving in free agency. They’ll need to find someone to fill the void and step up.
Jack Eichel is a key player for the team, and it’s crucial for him to stay healthy. Last season, despite missing some games, he scored 31 goals and provided 37 assists.
Lights out and away we go! ????????️#VegasBorn | @F1LasVegas pic.twitter.com/w8QrYR4Puy
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 9, 2024
Mark Stone has had some injury issues, but he still scored 16 goals and 37 assists in 56 games. Ivan Barbashev could be the missing piece after his 19 goals and 26 assists.
Tomas Hertl might also be looking to step up after scoring 17 goals and 21 assists in 54 games. Victor Olofsson will need to contribute more after his seven goals and eight assists in 51 games for the Buffalo Sabres.
William Karlsson, who spent most of his time on the third line, scored 30 goals and 30 assists in 70 games. That being said, they were in the middle of the pack in scoring last season, averaging 3.21 goals per game.
Adin Hill, the team’s primary goalkeeper, solidified his position by maintaining a 19-12-2 record last season, with a commendable 2.71 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
The aging defense must step up this season. Alex Pietrangelo blocked 160 shots and delivered 46 hits, while Shea Theodore had nine hits and 78 blocked shots in limited time.
Noah Hanifin contributed 63 hits and 121 blocked shots. The defense allowed an average of 2.06 goals per game, 12th best in the league.
Avs-Knights Best Bet
The Avs and Knights continue their fantastic rivalry tonight. They have split their last 10 games. In those meetings the Avs have only averaged 2.3 goals per game, while the Knights have averaged 2.7.
When these two meet, the offense tends to take a back seat to the defense. The Under is 7-3 in the past 10 games between them.
With the Knights committing to more of a defensive identity this season, I’m sticking with the Under in this one.
Under 6.5 goals at -115 odds is the best bet in this one.
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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
