There are two sides to the narrative when it comes to a well-rested team facing one that’s pivoting off a seven-game series in the playoffs.
For the well-rested team, win, and the respite paid off.
Lose, and they were too rusty.
You can apply the same variables to the other team: hot off momentum or too tired.
We just saw it with the Knicks in their Game 1 overtime victory over the Cavaliers in NBA Eastern Conference Finals, and we’ve got the same stage for the Avalanche in their Western Conference Final opener against Vegas on Wednesday.
The Avalanche haven’t played a hockey game in seven days since ousting a formidable Wild team in five. Yet, they are priced as steep as -185 moneyline favorites at BetMGM Sportsbook.
If it wasn’t evident how powerful the Avalanche were in the regular season, making quick work of a Wild team that ranked within the top 10 of almost every major stat category sent the memo.
Colorado is now 8-1 in these playoffs and is scoring almost a half goal more than any other team.
The Golden Knights proved they have a second gear by flushing out the Ducks in their last two games. Since taking over with eight games left in the regular season, John Tortorella has coached the Knights to a 15-4-1 mark.
But oddsmakers aren’t sold on the Tortorella effect. Vegas, a +150 road dog in Game 1, is tagged at +198 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Vegas was one of the better five-on-five clubs all season, but they’ve now gotten the one thing that’s been holding them back: goaltending. Carter Hart’s health has raised their ceiling considerably.
He has posted a .917 save percentage with a 4.2 Goals Saved Above Expected in 12 playoff tilts, which is an immense upgrade from the instability Vegas dealt with all year from Adin Hill and Akira Schmid.
The Avalanche pour it on thick with their transition attack. Tortorella inherited a structure that is built to weather high-danger scoring chances — something the Avalanche thrives on — and implemented an aggressive North-South style of play.
He also overhauled the power play, which ranks 0.7 percentage points better than the mighty Avalanche.
If there is any team left that has the sheer star power to contend with the Avs, it’s Vegas, which has Jack Eichel playing the best two-way hockey of his career alongside Mitch Marner’s playoff-leading 18 points.
Fading the Avalanche takes stones. If there’s a spot to do, it’s against Tortorella’s forechecking grind as they snap back into focus.
THE PLAY: Golden Knights (+150, DraftKings)
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
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