October 25 Avalanche vs Golden Knights Prediction: Home Team 6-0 in Series

• In six all-time meetings, the home side has won each contest
• Colorado is currently 3-1-1 on its six-game road trip that concludes with Friday’s game in Las Vegas
• Vegas currently leads the NHL in penalty killing, successfully killing off 90.9% of all their penalty-kill situations, and also lead the NHL with four shorthanded goals

A pair of high-flying Western Confererence teams meet on Friday as the Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche travel to Sin City to play the Vegas Golden Knights, currently sitting second in the Pacific Division.

Both were playoff teams back in the spring and both have shown that they’re hell bent on returning to the postseason this year. The teams are riding high in the Western Conference, and the Colorado Avalanche vs Vegas Golden Knights odds reflect the competitive nature of both teams.

Colorado Avalanche vs Vegas Golden Knights Odds

*Odds taken on October 25, 2019

Home Ice Advantage

Granted it’s a small sample size, being as the Vegas Golden Knights are only in their third NHL season, but in six all-time meetings between the two Western Conference teams, the home team has won each time.

Colorado took the last meeting between the teams, emerging with a 4-3 victory back on March 27, but Vegas has the edge in all-time goalscoring in the series, with a 17-11 edge. As a result, the Golden Knights are averaging 2.83 goals per game against Colorado, giving up an average of 1.83 goals against.

Explosive Offense

So far this season, the Avalanche have shown they really know how to put the puck in the next, with their average of 4.00 goals per game good for second in the NHL, behind only the Nashville Predators.

A nine-game, season-opening point streak for Nathan MacKinnon.

For the second season in a row.

And he joins some pretty nice company, too. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/yuyFTkcsLe

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 22, 2019

That offense is led by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who have 12 points each, although Colorado took a hit this week when Rantanen suffered an ankle injury in Monday’s 3-1 loss at St. Louis. The Finnish forward has been deemed week-to-week in terms of recovery from that injury, so he won’t be on the ice on Friday night.

The Avs’ power play is decidedly middle of the pack so far this season, with their 20% conversion rate good for 15th in the NHL.

Defensively Sound

Back in their own end, Colorado has shown itself to be able to hold firm in the face of opposition pressure, giving up 2.67 goals per game, good for joint-ninth in the league.

Seven points on a great first road trip.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/7XZglF1lkG

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 22, 2019

That defense is led by goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who has posted a 5-1-1 record so far this season, to go alongside a 2.82 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.

And the Avalanche have been largely outstanding on the penalty kill, successfully killing off 85.7% of shorthanded situations, good enough for seventh in the league in that regard.

Leading the Way

The Golden Knights’ offense is being powered by winger Mark Stone, who has six goals and eight assists so far in just 11 games, which makes him the eighth leading scorer in the NHL.

He is being supported up front by former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty, who has 10 points so far.

Good mornin ?

Wake up Mr. West, Mr. West, Mr. Fresh ? pic.twitter.com/tbhNPBc9HJ

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 23, 2019

The offense has been producing at a 3.09 goals-per-game clip so far this season. Although that isn’t quite as explosive as Vegas’s Friday night opponent, it is balanced out by the team’s play in its defensive end, where they are tied for eighth in the NHL, giving up just 2.55 goals per game.

Killing Things Off

And that rearguard action is at its best when shorthanded, as the Golden Knights are killing off opposition penalties 90.9% of the the time.

~Marc-Andre Fleury appreciation tweet~

? Seventh among NHL goalies in all-time WINS ? pic.twitter.com/LcpyXAjIpH

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 23, 2019

On top of that, the team generates a fair amount of offense while playing with less than five skates on the ice, with its four shorthanded goals leading the NHL. And that effort has been spread across the lineup, with four different skaters scoring while killing off a penalty.

Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-162)