The Colorado Avalanche took an early lead in the Western Conference Final by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 1 on Wednesday night.
Valeri Nichushkin scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, tipping in a centering pass from Ross Colton between his legs.
The goal marked a breakthrough for Nichushkin, who had managed only one goal and three points in nine playoff games this postseason.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar kept Nichushkin on the top line and power play despite the forward's low postseason numbers.
Nichushkin finished the regular season with 17 goals and 32 assists in 72 games.
Colorado entered the playoffs as the Western Conference's top seed after a 55-16-11 regular season and 121 points.
The team led the NHL with 302 goals scored.
The Avalanche held a 2-0-1 regular-season record against Vegas, including a shootout win in December.
Other Game 1 goals included a power-play tally by Pavel Dorofeyev, a rush goal by Jake Coghlan, and a rebound goal by Brett Howden.
Colorado now leads the best-of-seven series 1-0. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday.
