Avalanche and Golden Knights face off in battle of top West Division teams
Vegas Golden Knights (22-7-1, first in the West Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (20-8-3, second in the West Division)
Denver; Thursday, 9 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The two best teams in the West Division face off when the Colorado Avalanche take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche are 20-8-3 in division play. Colorado ranks 16th in the league with 35.3 shots per game and is averaging 3.4 goals.
The Golden Knights are 22-7-1 against West Division teams. Vegas is sixth in the Nhl averaging 3.3 goals per game, led by Max Pacioretty with 16.
In their last matchup on Feb. 22, Vegas won 3-0. Alex Tuch recorded a team-high 2 points for the Golden Knights.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with 25 assists and has 35 points this season. Gabriel Landeskog has nine assists over the last 10 games for Colorado.
Pacioretty leads the Golden Knights with 16 goals and has 30 points. Mark Stone has seven goals over the last 10 games for Vegas.
LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 7-1-2, averaging 4.2 goals, 7.9 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game with a .913 save percentage.
Golden Knights: 7-3-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.6 assists, 2.6 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while allowing 2.1 goals per game with a .920 save percentage.
INJURIES: Avalanche: Conor Timmins: day to day (upper body), Dennis Gilbert: out (face).
Golden Knights: Alex Pietrangelo: out (undisclosed), Max Pacioretty: day to day (lower body).
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