Winnipeg Jets vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 2 Prediction, Odds
Winnipeg started their bid for the Stanley Cup on about as good of a note as possible, taking their opening duel with Vegas by a score of 5-1. The Jets were frankly the better team for the full 60 minutes and held Vegas to a season-low 17 shots on goal.
The only scary part for the Jets sake is this is history repeating itself, and not in a favourable way. Winnipeg took Game 1 of the 2018 Western Conference Final against Vegas, albeit on home ice and not as the eight-seed like they are this season. The Jets then dropped four straight as Vegas went onto the Stanley Cup Final.
Puck drop Thursday at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas starts at 10 p.m. EDT with the Golden Knights remaining as the favourite, currently -160 to win the game with the total at 5.5 on the NHL odds.
Jets vs. Golden Knights NHL Playoff Betting Odds
Winnipeg’s series-opening dub has shifted them to the series favourite at -132 to win. A Jets sweep is still +958 though, some of the longest odds available in this series.
Two Jets goals in the final 90 seconds of Game 1 made the total go over. Prior to Game 1 Winnipeg had six of their last seven road games finish under but for Vegas it was their seventh over in their last nine home games. Tuesday’s loss was just Vegas’ eighth regulation loss on home ice this season. Winnipeg is now also 8-4 in their last 12 contests with the Golden Knights.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg got the job done on offence without Nikolaj Ehlers in the lineup, who sat out Game 1 with and upper-body injury. Ehlers, one of Winnipeg’s top offensive producers is day-to-day and could very well return here. The Jets top guns picked it up regardless as Blake Wheeler had a game-high three points, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kyle Connor both found the back of the net, and the versatile Adam Lowry scored the Jets final two goals.
The plan now is really rinse and repeat. When Winnipeg’s on their game they can compete with anyone on the score sheet, and when that fails they have Connor Hellebuyck as a backbone in net. And if Hellebuyck’s only seeing 17 shots again, Winnipeg is in a pristine spot.
Vegas Golden Knights
Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy called his team’s Game 1 defeat self-inflicted, and in particular from an intensity level. After all Vegas managed a season-low 17 shots, just over half of what they averaged during the regular season. William Karlsson scored Vegas’ lone goal.
The Golden Knights got captain Mark Stone back in the loss too, who suited up for the first time since January 12. Stone led all Vegas forwards with 21:28 of ice time and finished -3 with no shots on net. Cassidy called Stone rusty, but said it was to be expected. The true test for Stone and Co. is their second game together now, as Cassidy juggled his lines on the fly Tuesday and put Stone on a top-heavy first line with Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephenson.
WIN
VEG