Rantanen and the Avalanche host Vegas with 1-0 series lead

Vegas Golden Knights (40-14-2, second in the West Division during the regular season) vs. Colorado Avalanche (39-13-4, first in the West Division during the regular season)

Denver; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EDT

NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Avalanche lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche host the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the 10th time this season. The Avalanche won the last meeting 7-1. Gabriel Landeskog scored a team-high two goals for the Avalanche in the victory.

The Avalanche are 39-13-4 in division play. Colorado leads the NHL averaging 3.5 goals per game, led by Mikko Rantanen with 30.

The Golden Knights are 40-14-2 in division games. Vegas is fourth in the league recording 9.2 points per game, averaging 3.4 goals and 5.8 assists.

TOP PERFORMERS: Rantanen leads the Avalanche with a plus-30 in 52 games this season. Nathan MacKinnon has eight goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Colorado.

Mark Stone has 61 total points while scoring 21 goals and totaling 40 assists for the Golden Knights. Mattias Janmark has three goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Vegas.

DURING THE PLAYOFFS: Avalanche: Averaging 5.4 goals, 9.0 assists, 3.6 penalties and 12.6 penalty minutes while giving up 1.6 goals per game with a .941 save percentage.

Golden Knights: Averaging 2.6 goals, 4.4 assists, 3.2 penalties and 10.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game with a .905 save percentage.

INJURIES: Avalanche: Jacob MacDonald: out (lower body), Bowen Byram: out (upper body), Matt Calvert: out (undisclosed), Dennis Gilbert: out (face).

Golden Knights: Peyton Krebs: out (upper body), Brayden McNabb: day to day (health protocols), Tomas Nosek: day to day (undisclosed).