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

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).

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.