The Western Conference final kicked off tonight in Denver with a match up between the Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers. It’s been billed as Nathan MacKinnon vs. Conor McDavid, but both the Avalanche and the Oilers are stacked with skilled players that are capable of changing the trajectory of the series. A win on home ice was exactly what the Avalanche needed after a difficult loss in Game 5 to the St. Louis Blues, and although this game started feeling familiar, they were able to hold on.
The first period
The top lines for both the Avalanche and Oilers came out to begin the first period of what was bound to be a historic conference final.