Nichushkin’s Shootout Goal Lifts Avalanche Over Golden Knights, 2-1
Valeri Nichushkin was the standout player for the Colorado Avalanche in their 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night, scoring the only goal in a five-round shootout and the team’s sole goal in regulation. Colorado’s win marked their seventh in the last nine games.
In a tense matchup, Vegas took the lead in the second period when Pavel Dorofeyev scored at 13:09. However, Nichushkin quickly responded, leveling the score just 33 seconds later with an unassisted goal. Both teams battled through the remaining regulation and overtime without any additional goals, setting the stage for the shootout.
Alexandar Georgiev was a key contributor for Colorado, making 18 saves through overtime and another five in the shootout, keeping the Golden Knights from adding to their tally. Vegas’ Adin Hill also put up a strong performance, recording 33 saves during regulation and three more in the shootout, but Nichushkin was able to beat him to secure the win.
The game remained clean in terms of penalties until the third period when Cale Makar was penalized for interference at 3:37. With the game approaching overtime, Hill made a critical save on Nichushkin’s close-range shot, preventing a goal just as the Avalanche were about to go on the power play.
The Golden Knights ended their five-game road trip with a 3-1-1 record, having bounced back from a 3-0 loss to Toronto to win their next three games before falling to Colorado. For the Avalanche, injuries continue to be a concern, with Jonathan Drouin now listed as “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury after already missing 16 games earlier this season. Chase Bradley was recalled to the team and made his NHL debut during the game.
A key statistic from the match was Vegas’ shooting performance. Despite starting strong with 10 shots in the first period, the Golden Knights were limited to just nine shots over the remaining regulation and overtime, and none in the extra period.
