Golden Knights stymie Avalanche’s super trio in tough win

By Justin Emerson

Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018 | 11 p.m.

To stop Colorado’s top line, which has been the NHL's best this season, you have to have defensemen up to the task. From the first puck drop, it was clear the Golden Knights’ game plan was to counter three of the best forwards in hockey with their two best lockdown blueliners.

Brayden McNabb and Nate Schmidt shut down the Avalanche’s trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog on Thursday, and it propelled Vegas to a 2-1 victory at T-Mobile Arena.

“They’re going to make plays, it’s just eliminating them and taking away their time and space,” McNabb said. “It’s fun playing against those guys. They’re great players and it’s a good challenge.”

No trio of teammates in the NHL has more points than Mikko Rantanen (60), Nathan MacKinnon (57) and Gabriel Landeskog (43). Rantanen and MacKinnon are second and third in the league in points, Landeskog is tied for third in the league in goals, and MacKinnon was second in the MVP voting last year.

“We didn’t let them hang in the zone too long,” forward Paul Stastny said. “You've got two guys that are probably playing like MVPs, one guy who probably should have won it last year and he’s been even better this year. Some people sleep on (Landeskog), but I think that guy is as much an engine on that line as anyone.”

McNabb and Schmidt, who led Vegas in time on ice, saw action for all but one of the top line’s shifts. McNabb (21:45 of ice time) spent 18:28 on the ice with MacKinnon, and Schmidt (23:11) spent 18:28 on the ice with MacKinnon, who led all forwards and was second in the game with 23:15 of ice time.

When all three of Colorado’s forwards were on the ice together at 5-on-5, the Golden Knights held an 18-15 edge in unblocked shot attempts, in large part because of McNabb and Schmidt.

“Awesome. They were great,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “Anytime you can shut that line down, they did a great job.”

Colorado’s lone goal was on the power play, when MacKinnon fed Rantanen, who set up a J.T. Compher deflection. McNabb was on the ice for that one but Schmidt, who seldom kills penalties, was not. After that, the Golden Knights made them look ordinary.

Gallant said the plan was to match McNabb and Schmidt with the MacKinnon line, but perhaps not quite to the extent they did. Regardless, it worked. And perhaps an even bigger prize was the confidence of knowing that no matter who the opponent is, the Golden Knights have a defensive duo up to the task.

Just look what they did Thursday.