Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche
NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche on May 20, 2026. Final score: Vegas Golden Knights 4, Colorado Avalanche 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | May 20, 2026 |
| Venue | Ball Arena |
| Series | R3 Game 1: COL 0-1 VGK |
| Vegas Golden Knights score | 4 |
| Colorado Avalanche score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nic Dowd | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13:18 | 0.57 | 1.56 |
| 2nd | Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:06 | 0.03 | 1.54 |
| 3rd | Ross Colton | C | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9:55 | 0.55 | 1.26 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Vegas Golden Knights–Colorado Avalanche) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 12:29 | VGK | Dylan Coghlan | Brandon Saad, Colton Sissons | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 15:02 | VGK | Pavel Dorofeyev | Mitch Marner, Tomas Hertl | 4v5 | 2–0 |
| 3rd 01:34 | VGK | Brett Howden | Ben Hutton | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 3rd 05:53 | COL | Valeri Nichushkin | Ross Colton | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 17:39 | COL | Gabriel Landeskog | Nathan MacKinnon, Devon Toews | 6v4 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 19:15 | VGK | Nic Dowd | Jack Eichel | 6v5 | 4–2 |
Team Comparison
| Vegas Golden Knights | Colorado Avalanche | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 38 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.55 | 3.56 |
| High-danger shots | 18 | 33 |
| Corsi % | 39.4% | 60.6% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 58.5% | 41.5% |
| Hits | 34 | 31 |
| Blocks | 23 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 23 | 9 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 4 |
Vegas Golden Knights Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nic Dowd | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:18 | 0.57 | 1.56 |
| Colton Sissons | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11:28 | 0.01 | 1.06 |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14:21 | 0.36 | 0.93 |
| Jack Eichel | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:32 | 0.84 | 0.74 |
| Brett Howden | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18:11 | 0.30 | 0.74 |
| Cole Smith | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:56 | 0.00 | 0.73 |
| Keegan Kolesar | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:02 | 0.11 | 0.71 |
| Brandon Saad | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8:10 | 0.00 | 0.56 |
| Dylan Coghlan | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8:13 | 0.08 | 0.48 |
| Brayden McNabb | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25:42 | 0.03 | 0.46 |
| Shea Theodore | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 27:22 | 0.07 | 0.38 |
| Tomas Hertl | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10:45 | 0.24 | 0.29 |
| Ben Hutton | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10:01 | 0.07 | 0.13 |
| Noah Hanifin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:29 | 0.01 | 0.07 |
| William Karlsson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:11 | 0.08 | 0.01 |
| Mitch Marner | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:35 | 0.08 | -0.02 |
| Ivan Barbashev | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:25 | 0.53 | -0.06 |
| Rasmus Andersson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:32 | 1.20 | -0.28 |
Colorado Avalanche Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:06 | 0.03 | 1.54 |
| Ross Colton | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9:55 | 0.55 | 1.26 |
| Valeri Nichushkin | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13:39 | 0.34 | 1.16 |
| Logan O'Connor | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:16 | 0.31 | 0.69 |
| Devon Toews | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27:32 | 0.18 | 0.69 |
| Josh Manson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:02 | 0.03 | 0.60 |
| Nazem Kadri | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 19:26 | 0.44 | 0.53 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:32 | 0.25 | 0.51 |
| Parker Kelly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:57 | 0.29 | 0.50 |
| Brent Burns | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:55 | 0.09 | 0.49 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21:21 | 0.20 | 0.46 |
| Jack Drury | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:55 | 0.04 | 0.46 |
| Nicolas Roy | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:40 | 0.04 | 0.44 |
| Artturi Lehkonen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:42 | 0.26 | 0.28 |
| Martin Necas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:41 | 0.23 | -0.08 |
| Sam Malinski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:31 | 0.02 | -0.09 |
| Jack Ahcan | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:34 | 0.00 | -0.23 |
| Brock Nelson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:15 | 0.27 | -0.33 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter Hart | Vegas Golden Knights | 36 | 38 | 94.7% | 1.57 | W |
| Scott Wedgewood | Colorado Avalanche | 24 | 27 | 88.9% | -1.19 | L |
Analysis
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4–2 on May 20, 2026.
Colorado Avalanche generated 3.56 expected goals to Vegas Golden Knights's 4.55 — the run of play matched the result, with Vegas Golden Knights earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Nic Dowd led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.56 on 1 goal, 1 shots on goal.
Carter Hart stopped 36 of 38, worth 1.57 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Vegas Golden Knights vs Colorado Avalanche game?
The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 4–2 on May 20, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Vegas Golden Knights 4, Colorado Avalanche 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Nic Dowd led all skaters at 1.56, on 1G, 0A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Colorado Avalanche generated 3.56 expected goals and Vegas Golden Knights generated 4.55, so Vegas Golden Knights created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Vegas Golden Knights put 28 shots on goal and Colorado Avalanche put 38. High-danger chances went 18 to 33.
How did the goaltenders play?
Carter Hart stopped 36 of 38 (1.57 goals saved above expected); Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 of 27 (-1.19 goals saved above expected).