Entering their Wednesday night contest, the Colorado Avalanche were tied with the Arizona Coyotes for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference to set up a massive showdown between the two teams on Friday evening.
First, though, the Avalanche had to face a very tough opponent in the Vegas Golden Knights, hoping to gather a crucial two points as a cushion heading into the next biggest game of the year. The Avalanche did just that as they held off a late surge from Vegas for a 4-3 win.
Despite not looking like the team in control for much of the first period, it was the Avalanche who escaped with a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.