DENVER — The elevation in this capital city of Colorado: 5,280 feet above sea level.
A mile high, is right.
Folks not used to such altitude might get a bit winded quicker when exercise comes calling, and even the fittest of professional athletes can feel it at first.
But the Vegas Golden Knights aren’t worried about such things.
Their take: Bring on the Avalanche, altitude and all.
The Western Conference final begins here on Wednesday night and don’t expect the Knights to make excuses about how far their lungs might be expanding while racing up and down the ice.
“I mean, I’m probably going to feel it at some point over the first couple shifts, but not really,” forward Ivan Barbashev said. “You just have to keep playing. We’ve played at altitude a lot. It really doesn’t matter.”
Said defenseman Brayden McNabb: “It’s something, for sure. But it’s not like we’ve never done it. People might make a big deal about it, but you can’t overthink it. It is what it is.”
Example: The first playoff series won by the Knights this postseason came against Utah, where Salt Lake City has an elevation of 4,327 feet.
The final in a series-clinching Game 6: Vegas 5, Mammoth 1.
The Knights sure didn’t look tired that night.
Some believe there is a residual acclamation to the altitude the more you go in and out it, that having played in Salt Lake City that first round could aid the Knights now from a mental and physical standpoint.
“It’s overrated,” Knights coach John Tortorella said. “We’re certainly aware of it, but if you spend too much time talking about it and fixing this and going there and oxygen here, it manifests itself into something bigger than it should be.
“We might have to catch a couple breaths here along the way, but we’ll be fine.”
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
