Valeri Nichushkin scored the only goal in a five-round shootout and also scored Colorado's only goal in regulation as the Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1.

Valeri Nichushkin had a goal in regulation and the only one in an extended shootout, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in Denver on Wednesday night.

After a scoreless opening 33 minutes, both teams got on the board in a span of 33 seconds. Vegas struck first with a beautifully executed end-to-end maneuver.

Not to mention, only six teams have conceded more shot attempts per game on the road than the Golden Knights. They're susceptible to giving up shots in bulk, as we’ve seen during their current road trip (Philadelphia generated 36 shots, and Ottawa piled up 40).

Valeri Nichushkin scored the only goal in a five-round shootout and also scored Colorado's only goal in regulation as the Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1

Welcome back to the return of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in.

The Vegas Golden Knights will look to keep their three-game win streak going when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. Game time is 10 p.m. ET from the Ball Arena in Denver. You can watch it on TNT or live stream it on Sling TV (discount) or DirecTV Stream (FREE trial and discount).

It was low scoring, but it was entertaining. The Avalanche shut down the Golden Knights on their way to a 2-1 shootout victory late Wednesday. Here are three takeaways:

After wrapping up their most recent road trip, the Colorado Avalanche return home for a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. This will be the second of three matchups between these two teams, with Vegas winning the first one by a final score of 8-4.