Avalanche Western Conference Final Preview

The Colorado Avalanche continue the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday, May 31 as they return to the Western Conference Final for the first time in 20 years and take on the Edmonton Oilers.
After clinching the top seed in the Western Conference the Avalanche have the advantage of home ice in the best-of-seven series. Game 1 between Colorado and Edmonton will begin on Tuesday night at Ball Arena with a 6 p.m. MT puck drop.
Here's a comprehensive look at the Western Conference Final matchup between the Avs and Oilers:

LOOKING BACK AT THE REGULAR SEASON SERIES:

The Avalanche posted a 2-1-0 record during their three-game regular season series against the Oilers.
MacKinnon paced the Avalanche during the regular season meetings against the Oilers with five points (3G, 2A). Valeri Nichushkin posted four points (2G, 2A) through the three games.

For Edmonton, Evander Kane recorded the most points with five (4G, 1A), including a hat trick. Kailer Yamamoto was the next highest with four points (2G, 2A), and Connor McDavid handed out four assists, but neither McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl scored against the Avalanche in the regular season.
In net, Darcy Kuemper started in all three games for the Avalanche and posted a 2-1-0 record , a .921 SV% and a 2.62 GAA.
For the Oilers, Mike Smith made two starts and recorded a 1-0-1 record, a .912 SV%, and a 2.99 GAA. Mikko Koskinen made one start and finished with a 1-0-0 record, a .971 SV%, and a 0.92 GAA.
In the regular season meetings, Colorado was 2-for-13 on the power play (15.4%) and finished with a perfect 6-for-6 execution on the penalty kill. For the Oilers, their penalty kill was 11-for-13 (84.6%).

THE LAST POSTSEASON MEETING:

The last postseason meeting between the Avs and Oilers was during the 1998 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Conference Quarterfinals where Edmonton won in Game 7.

SCOUTING THE OILERS:

The Oilers finished the regular season ranked second in the Pacific Division with a 49-27-6 record and 104 points. Edmonton advanced to the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Calgary Flames (4-1) in the Second Round series.
This marked the third-straight berth to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for Edmonton and the first time back in the Western Conference Finals since 2006.

INJURY STATUS:

Colorado enters the Western Conference Final with everyone available except Samuel Girard, who suffered an upper body injury in Game 3 of the Second Round against St. Louis.
For the Oilers, the team benefits from a healthy lineup with the only exception of defenseman Oscar Klefbom who has not been in the lineup since March 11 after being sidelined with a shoulder injury.

LETHAL OFFENSES ON BOTH SIDES:

The Avalanche showcased their depth against the Blues as 17-of-21 skaters recorded at least a point. Fourteen of those 17 skaters recorded multi-point efforts.
Nazem Kadri (4G, 3A) and Nathan MacKinnon (3G, 4A) paced the team with seven points each in the series, but Kadri led the way in goals with four.
Colorado's offense averaged 4.30 goals for per game, the second-most in the NHL throughout the series. The Avalanche also averaged the second-most shots for per game (but most among teams remaining in playoffs) with a nightly average of 39.8 shots.
So far in this postseason run for the Avalanche, MacKinnon (8G, 5A) and Cale Makar (3G, 10A) are leading the way with 13 points each. The Avalanche have also received game-winning goals from eight different skaters.
Edmonton leads the NHL this postseason in goals for per game with a nightly average of 4.33 goals.
Against Calgary, the Oilers had 12-of-19 skaters record at least a point and had eight of those 12 skaters record multi-point efforts.
Leon Draisaitl paced the Oilers against Calgary as he totaled 17 points (2G, 15A) through five games and McDavid was second-highest in point production with 12 points (3G, 9A) in the series. Winger Zach Hyman scored six goals - a goal in every game - in the Second Round.

GOALTENDING:

Avalanche:
Kuemper played the entirety of the series against the Blues. The Avalanche netminder made a total of 140 saves on 157 shots, recorded a 2.77 GAA, and a .892 SV%. He now ranks fifth in the NHL with a total postseason record of 6-2-0, a 2.44 GAA and a .904 SV%.
Oilers:
Mike Smith played in all five games against Calgary, making five starts. He recorded a 4-0-0 record, a .907 SV% and a 3.40 GAA. Smith was pulled in Game 1's barn burner between Edmonton and Calgary where the Oilers lost 9-6. Mikko Koskinen replaced Smith for that game and made 32 saves on 37 shots for a .865 SV% and 5.23 GAA.

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FAMILIAR FACES:

There's some close ties in this matchup between the Avs and the Oilers.
For starters, former Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie, who the club selected 64th overall (third round) in the 2009 NHL Draft, is now a fixture on Edmonton's blueline. Barrie spent eight seasons with the Avs from 2011-19.
Derick Brassard, who joined Colorado at the NHL Trade Deadline, played with the club during the 2018-19 regular season and postseason.
For Josh Manson, this will be a special matchup for him personally as his father Dave is an assistant coach for the Oilers.

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MACKINNON VS. MCDAVID

This series is headlined by two of the fastest skaters, most explosive offensive producers, ultimate game changers and household names in the league as MacKinnon and McDavid go head-to-head.
MacKinnon (26) and McDavid (25) both have some of - if not the best - sharp edgework, volant speed and abilities to change the course of a game on a dime.
MacKinnon has posted 13 points (8G, 5A) during this postseason run and tallied seven points (3G, 4A) in the Second Round against St. Louis. The Halifax, Nova Scotia native has amassed 82 points in 59-career playoff contests which is the third-highest average (1.39) in NHL postseason history.
McDavid - and Draisaitl for that matter - have each been producing at a nearly unprecedented clip as they each have respectively compiled 26 points (7G, 19A) through 12 games. In five games against the Flames in the Second Round, McDavid put up 12 points (3G, 9A). Draisaitl totaled 17 points (2G, 15A) through five games.

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POTENTIAL X-FACTORS:

Colorado winger Artturi Lehkonen:
Lehkonen has been solid for the Avalanche through the first two rounds where he's totaled five points on four goals and an assist. In the Second Round against St. Louis, the 26-year-old tallied three points on two goals and an assist.
Lehkonen has been skating alongside MacKinnon and Landeskog and also Kadri and Mikko Rantanen, as Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar mixed and matched his top-six throughout the Second Round.
Edmonton winger Zach Hyman:
The 29-year-old winger did not record a point against the Avalanche during the regular season, but has been heating up for the Oilers especially in their Second Round series against Calgary where Hyman totaled eight points (6G, 2A) and scored in all five games.
Hyman skates on Edmonton's second line alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi.
For the full Western Conference Final schedule between the Avalanche and Oilers,
click here
.