The opening game of the Western Conference Finals is set to take place on Wednesday night as the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Colorado Avalanche. Both of these teams possess rosters with plenty of postseason experience, so it will be interesting to see who comes out sharper in the opening contest. It should be a tremendously entertaining series to watch unfold. With puck drop for Game 1 quickly approaching, I have picked out my Golden Knights vs Avalanche parlay picks on Wednesday, May 20, with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Furthermore, don't forget to check out our NHL predictions for EVERY game throughout the playoffs, including this highly anticipated matchup.
Avalanche ML (+192)
Martin Necas 3+ shots on goal (-140)
Jack Eichel anytime goalscorer (+205)
The Avalanche have been a force to be reckoned with all season long. After winning the Presidents Trophy with 121 points in the regular season, the Avs have breezed through the first 2 rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Colorado swept the Kings in the first round and defeated the Wild 4-1 in the second round. Now, the Avalanche are set to battle the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals - a team they defeated in 2 of 3 meetings during the regular season.
Colorado brings an elite well-rounded game that makes them a nightmare matchup against just about anyone. So far in the postseason, the Avs lead all playoff teams scoring 4.11 goals per game and rank 4th allowing just 2.56 goals per contest. The power play is also operating at a high clip of 25%. Game 1 will take place at Ball Arena in Denver, and the Avs have been great at home all season long. Specifically, they own a record of 31-9-6 when playing in front of their home fans. Look for the Avalanche to keep on rolling in the postseason with a Game 1 win.
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Colorado's offensive attack is led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, but Martin Necas has been a great addition to Colorado's top line. In his first full season in Denver, Necas reached the 100-point mark for the first time in his career on 38 goals and 62 assists during the regular season. He also ranked 2nd on the team with 206 shots on goal. Only MacKinnon's 350 shots exceeded Necas' total shot volume.
So far in the postseason, Necas is 2nd on the team with 25 shots on goal. Yet, he has just one goal to show for it. With MacKinnon and Makar sure to get the bulk of the attention from Vegas, that could open the door more for more opportunities for Necas. It's clear that he is thriving on Colorado's top line alongside MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, and he continues to see great scoring chances on a nightly basis. With that in mind, look for Necas to fire at least 3 shots on goal in Wednesday's Game 1.
Surprisingly, Jack Eichel has potted just a single goal so far in the playoffs. That came all the way back in Game 3 against Utah in the first round, and he enters Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals without a goal in 9 consecutive games. However, Eichel' goal-scoring struggles are not for a lack of trying.
Eichel continues to put pucks on net at a high rate, as he leads the Golden Knights with 35 shots on goal in the postseason. During the regular season, he led Vegas with 260 shots on goal and posted a shooting percentage of 10.4%. His postseason shooting percentage sits at a measly 2.9%, but given the consistent opportunities he is seeing, he is due to break through. Looking to lead his team to a strong showing in Game 1, look for Eichel to be involved offensively early and often. At this point, it seems to just be a matter of time before he find the back of the net.
