Avs Stumble in Game 1 vs. Golden Knights

Colorado down 1-0, but there's a lot of hockey to be played

Val Nichushkin got the comeback bid started with his second goal of the playoffs.

Not ideal, but not the worst thing that could happen.

The Colorado Avalanche dropped their first home game — and just their second game overall this postseason — with a 4-2 defeat to Vegas in the Western Conference Final opener.

It certainly wasn’t ideal to allow a pair of second-period goals or fall behind 3-0 less than two minutes into the third period. And it also wasn’t ideal to allow an empty-netter in the final minute after a two-goal pushback brought Colorado within one, ending the hope of another miracle comeback.

For a moment, it felt like a similar story to the final game of the Minnesota series was about to repeat itself. Fall behind by three, storm back to win.

Unfortunately, Game 1 against the Golden Knights didn’t have the fairytale ending that Game 5 against the Wild did. Colorado couldn’t find the third goal, and Vegas took the series opener, stealing home ice from the top-seeded Avalanche.