Vegas won because Hart conceded 1.80 goals below league average while Colorado's penalty kill surrendered the power-play goal that made a one-score game a two-score cushion.
β‘TURNING POINT
Dorofeyev's power-play goal at 15:02 of the second period pushed Vegas to 2-0 and forced Colorado to chase β in a game where COL's offense never found rhythm until the third, that two-goal deficit against a team already controlling possession time was structural, not recoverable. A one-goal game invites momentum; two goals against a disciplined road team in the final 25 minutes demanded urgency Colorado couldn't manufacture fast enough.
πWHY VGK WON (ranked by impact β most decisive first)
1
Goaltending: Hart conceded 1.80 goals below league average on 38 shots β against a team generating Colorado's volume, that margin was the foundation every other factor rested on.
2
Faceoff Dominance: VGK won 56.9% of draws (37 of 65) β sustained puck possession suppressed Colorado's transition game and limited their clean zone entries throughout regulation.
3
Shot Suppression: VGK blocked 23 shots to COL's 11 β that differential reduced Colorado's effective shot count and protected Hart from the true volume their attack generated.
πWHY COL LOST (ranked by impact β biggest failure first)
1
Goaltending: Wedgewood conceded 0.30 goals above league average on 28 shots β in a 2-goal loss where Colorado dominated shot volume, below-average returns on that volume were unrecoverable.
2
Power Play Execution: COL converted 1-of-3 power plays (33.3%) while VGK converted 1-of-2 (50.0%) β Colorado's failure to convert their extra man opportunity when trailing two goals in the third removed their clearest path back into the game.
3
Puck Management: COL gave the puck away 9 times to VGK's 23, but VGK's 7 takeaways against COL's 4 meant Colorado's discipline advantage did not translate into offensive pressure β Vegas turned loose pucks into transition more efficiently.
Three Stars
Carter Hart1st
VGK, G
SV% 0.94736 saves on 38 shots
Hart conceded 1.80 goals below league average β against a 38-shot Colorado attack, that gap was the single largest reason Vegas left Denver with two points.
Brett Howden2nd
VGK, C
1G4 SOG+118:11 TOI
Howden's goal 94 seconds into the third extended the lead to 3-0 before Colorado could build any momentum off the intermission.
Gabriel Landeskog3rd
COL, L
1G3 SOG21:21 TOI1 PPG
Landeskog's power-play goal at 17:39 forced a nervous final minute but arrived too late to change the outcome.
