Golden Knights face the Avalanche tonight with a crushing disadvantage

Vegas has stayed afloat in the standings, but the underlying numbers without Eichel and Theodore tell a much shakier story. The Golden Knights look slower through the neutral zone and far less threatening off the rush.

Jacob Walters from Vegas Hockey Knight writes that Vegas was among the league's elite in net goal differential per 60 minutes at five on five when Eichel and Theodore shared the ice. That pairing quietly drove everything that made the Knights dangerous.

Jack Eichel is the engine. The 2015 second overall pick tilts the ice with controlled entries and puck protection, and Shea Theodore is the release valve who turns retrievals into clean exits. Take both away, and structure starts to fray.

Colorado has seen this movie before. When Cale Makar or Nathan MacKinnon misses time, the Avalanche survive on effort but lose that easy offense that hides mistakes. Vegas is living that same reality now.

From an Avalanche perspective, this matters. The Central Division race is often decided by two or three points, and nights against a diminished Vegas lineup are supposed to be capitalized on.

Fans in Denver will admit it quietly, this is the version of Vegas you want on the schedule. The Knights still work, but the fear factor drops when the puck moves a half second slower.

The data lines up with the eye test. Without Theodore pushing pace from the back end, Vegas relies more on chips and forecheck recoveries. Without Eichel, the middle of the ice closes quickly.

That plays directly into Colorado's strengths. The Avalanche defense thrives when gaps stay tight and forwards can counter with speed. A less dynamic Vegas team feeds that transition game.

For Colorado, the takeaway is simple. Bank points now, because a healthy Golden Knights roster later in the season is a very different problem.

The Central rarely gives you gifts. When it does, you better take them and move on.