The Vegas Golden Knights opened the Western Conference Finals with a win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.

They now hold a 1-0 lead and take another step toward the Stanley Cup Finals. One of the key moments in the game came when Mitch Marner made a risky pass to his teammate, Pavel Dorofeyev, for a goal to put Vegas 2-0 ahead.

Highlighting the moment, Marner was questioned about the level of risk-taking allowed by head coach John Tortorella when making plays. The winger was quick to laud his coach for encouraging such moves, given that the player is confident.

“He’s (Tortorella) great with letting you do your plays if he thinks you can make them,” Marner told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

He also reflected on the situation that influenced his decision to push for the pass.

“Obviously, sometimes we're on the power play there," he recalled. "So, you know, kind of worth the shot there.”

The play allowed Dorofeyev to double Vegas' lead in a game they were struggling to gain control of. Marner weaved around the Avalanche's Brent Burns and slipped a no-look pass to find his fellow winger.

 “I see Pav coming in late. I think I can make that play," he stated. "Just try to make a play there.” 

Dorofeyev scored his 10th goal in 13 playoff games, leading Vegas’ postseason charge.

“Great play by Pav to find the ice and make it go in the net,"  Marner spoke about his teammate.

The winger is hardly a stranger to making clever plays, as he credited his offseason training for giving him the confidence to create such moments.

“In the summertime, I work on a lot of crazy stuff that results in me trying crazy stuff in the game,” he adds later.

Vegas stayed strong amid early pressure from Colorado before grabbing a three-goal lead in the first three periods.

Golden Knights Strike First in Western Conference Finals

The game stayed scoreless in the first period before Vegas pulled through in the second. Defenseman Dylan Coghlan opened the score with his first goal, and Dorofeyev immediately added another in a power-play moment.

Vegas extended the lead to 3-0 in the third period when Brett Howden scored. Colorado responded late with goals from winger Valeri Nichushkin and captain Gabriel Landeskog to reduce the deficit to one. 

However, the Golden Knights closed the night with a 4-2 win.

Hart made 36 saves for Vegas, while Colorado clearly missed defenseman Cale Makar, who was out because of an undisclosed injury.

With the next game also in Denver on Saturday, the Avalanche will aim to deliver a more clinical offensive performance and level the tie.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sijo Paul