DENVER — In a thrilling shootout finish, Charlie Coyle emerged as the hero for the Colorado Avalanche, netting the decisive goal that clinched a 3-2 victory over the depleted Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Coyle’s winning shot was perfectly placed in the upper corner past Akira Schmid. Meanwhile, Scott Wedgewood shone in the net, making 19 crucial saves through overtime and denying all three of Vegas’ attempts during the shootout.
Finding themselves trailing 2-0 in the second period, the Avalanche fought back, first with Valeri Nichushkin’s controversial power-play goal, initially disallowed but granted upon review, followed by a crucial goal from Jimmy Vesey.
This win marked Colorado’s 23rd comeback victory of the season. Nathan MacKinnon contributed with an assist, extending his impressive home point streak to 26 games.
For the Golden Knights, William Karlsson contributed a short-handed goal, breaking his scoring drought since December 21, complemented by another goal from Brayden McNabb. The team struggled in the absence of key players, including top scorer Jack Eichel and defensemen Nicolas Hague and Alex Pietrangelo, all sidelined due to injuries or illness.
Schmid played valiantly despite the loss, recording 34 saves in a game where Vegas was outshot 36-21. This match ended the Golden Knights’ streak of limiting opponents to 24 shots or fewer over their last seven games.
**Takeaways**
Golden Knights: Keegan Kolesar marked part of his 28th birthday in the penalty box due to a fighting penalty.
Avalanche: For Vesey, it was a landmark night, scoring his first goal for Colorado since being acquired from the New York Rangers in a trade that included defenseman Ryan Lindgren earlier in March.
**Key Moment**
A standout moment came with Schmid making a spectacular glove save while lying on his back midway through the second period. However, video review indicated that his glove crossed the goal line with the puck, overturning the initial no-goal decision.
**Key Stat**
The Golden Knights failed to capitalize on any of their four power-play opportunities, while the Avalanche were successful once out of their four chances.
**Up Next**
The Avalanche are set to host Vancouver in their home season finale on Thursday, and the Golden Knights will take on Seattle.