Avs lineup vs. Vegas

LAS VEGAS – It feels like one of those nights when – no, I can’t help but use this analogy because I’m in Vegas – the Avs are playing with some house money. If they lose, it’ll be super easy just to say “We didn’t have our No. 1 goal scorer or No. 1 goalie or No. 1 utility guy, not to mention a couple other good players. Hats off to beating us. See you in the playoffs.”

On the other hand, it’ll be: “OMG, the Avs have lost three in a row and are careening into the playoffs, playing their worst hockey at the wrong time of the season to do that.”

No matter what happens tonight, we shouldn’t think it’s the end of the world. The fact is, the Avs are going into tonight’s game with the Vegas Golden Knights with an injury/Covid-depleted lineup, and the bookies here in Vegas are, in fact, telling us: The Golden Knights are the favorites to win, and it’ll be a SURPRISE if they don’t win.

That’s the attitude I think we should all take, as Avs enthusiasts, into this game. And maybe we’ll shock ’em.

Here’s the Avs lineup for tonight:

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Burakovsky

Jost-Kadri-Nichushkin

Soderberg-Compher-Sherwood

O’Brien-Bellemare-Kaut

D

Toews-Girard

Graves-Makar

Nemeth-Timmins

Dubnyk

If the Avs are going to win this game, I think it has to be: 1. Dubnyk having a great night and 2. The defense adding a lot to the scoring. I think Cale Makar has to have a great game if the Avs are to win, with all the guys out up front. Wouldn’t hurt if Sam Girard could add something tonight on the scoresheet either.

NOTEBOOK: Jared Bednar reiterated that Philipp Grubauer, Mikko Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi all could return for Friday’s home game against San Jose. … Bo Byram will start a rehab stint with the Colorado Eagles. … The game will be on NBCSN. Altitude isn’t doing the game. … The Avs are +125 underdogs at SuperBook Colorado. There are some great prop bet odds boosts for the game, including what I think is a steal of a bet involving Nathan MacKinnon scoring a goal. Do yourself a favor and check ’em out.