Rapid Recap: Golden Knights 4, Avalanche 3

The Colorado Avalanche fell 4-3 in its preseason opener against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.
Vegas got on the board first though Oskar Olausson knotted the game at 1-1 with his first goal in his first NHL preseason outing. Defensemen Bowen Byram and Jack Johnson also tallied for the Avs.
Goaltenders Pavel Francouz and Jonas Johansson split time in the net for the Avalanche. Francouz made 14-of-16 saves in 30:03 of ice time while Johansson finished the outing with 12 saves.
The Avs went 0-for-7 on the power play and the Knights went 2-for-4.

Every game this preseason has the potential to include a shootout, but only those tied after overtime will be officially scored as such. Olausson and Shane Bowers found twine in the skills competition while Johansson stopped four of the five Vegas shooters.
Colorado hosts the Minnesota Wild on Thursday at Ball Arena to continue its six-game preseason slate.

THE GOALS

1st Period
2:07 VGK (0-1) - After Vegas forced a turnover and kept the puck in the zone, Jake Leschyshyn's shot rebounded to Patrick Brown and he scored.
10:04 COL (1-1) - Valeri Nichushkin skated the puck into the offensive zone and fed the puck to Oskar Olausson who tallied from the slot.
15:57 VGK (1-2) - PPG, Nicolas Hague scored from the right circle while Keegan Kolesar was screening Pavel Francouz on the power play.
2nd Period
18:56 VGK (2-2) - Bowen Byram skated into the left circle and scored nearside while Shane Bowers screened the Vegas goaltender right after a power-play opportunity expired.
3rd Period
6:18 COL (3-2) - Jack Johnson's shot from the point after a faceoff deflected into the Vegas cage.
7:44 VGK (3-3) - Alex Pietrangelo tied the game with a shot from the point that went glove side.
15:50 VGK (3-4) - PPG, Jonathan Marchessault scored from the top of the crease after a net-front scramble.
Final: Golden Knights - 4 | Avalanche - 3
Exhibition Shootout
VGK - Jonathan Marchessault - No Goal
COL - Oskar Olausson - GOAL
VGK - Nicolas Roy - GOAL
COL - Bowen Byram - No Goal
VGK William Karlsson - No Goal
COL - Artem Anisimov - No Goal
VGK - Reilly Smith - No Goal
COL - Valeri Nichushkin - No Goal
VGK - Alex Pietrangelo - No Goal
COL - Shane Bowers - GOAL

POWER PLAYS

Colorado: 0 for 7
Vegas: 2 for 4

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Colorado:Pavel Francouz began the game in net for the Avalanche and made 14-of-16 saves in 30:03 of ice time. Jonas Johansson then entered the contest and finished with 12 saves.
Vegas: Laurent Brossoit played the entire contest for the Knights and stopped 18 shots.

NOTEBOOK

Justin Barron and Oskar Olausson played in their first NHL preseason outings… The contest was the Avalanche's first preseason game in exactly two years, as the Avs last played a preseason game on Sept. 28, 2019 at Dallas… Colorado began its preseason slate against the Golden Knights, the fourth straight year (excluding 2020-21, no preseason) the Avs have started their exhibition schedule against Vegas… Colorado will play three home games and three road games during the preseason, facing the Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars twice each (once at home, once on the road)… Veterans Artem Anisimov, Darren Helm and Jack Johnson were the alternate captains in the outing... After the game the Avs and Knights participated in a pre-planned shootout.

ROSTER REPORT

Pavel Francouz started the game in goal for the Avalanche which featured a young lineup in the exhibition game with a mix of veterans. All four professional tryouts on Colorado's camp roster competed against the Knights, including forwards Artem Anisimov, Gabriel Fontaine and Dalton Smith and defenseman Jack Johnson.

INJURY REPORT

Defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) is anticipated to miss the beginning of the season, although he has been skating by himself through camp in a non-contact jersey. Tarun Fizer (upper body), Roland McKeown (COVID-19 protocol) and Steffan Matteau (COVID-19 protocol) have missed time at camp with injuries.

UP NEXT

The Avalanche continues the preseason with an exhibition outing at home on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.

LINE COMBINATIONS

Based on start of the game
Forwards
13 Valeri Nichushkin - 12 Jayson Megna - 27 Oskar Olausson
43 Darren Helm - 40 Artem Anisimov - 25 Logan O'Connor
70 Nick Henry - 15 Shane Bowers - 68 Callahan Burke
73 Dalton Smith - 41 Gabriel Fontaine - 74 Alex Beaucage
Defensemen
4 Bowen Byram - 3 J. Johnson
88 Andreas Englund - 72 Justin Barron
67 Keaton Middleton - 26 Jacob MacDonald
Goaltenders
39 Pavel Francouz
31 Jonas Johansson