Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets Game 3 Prediction, NHL Odds
Vegas got back in the series Thursday night with a much-needed 5-2 victory to make it one apiece thus far. The series script so far has followed the 2018 Western Conference Final between these clubs, a series Vegas trailed 1-0 in before taking it in five games.
Vegas’ got a big boost from Mark Stone in Thursday’s Game 2, as the Golden Knights captain scored the contest’s final pair of goals in his second game back from injury. The Golden Knights more than doubled their shot output compared to Game 1 too, going from 17 in Game 1 to 39 in Game 2.
Puck drop for Game 3 at Canada Life Centre starts at 4 p.m. EDT with the Jets a slight -115 moneyline favourite at home and the total at 5.5 on the NHL odds.
Golden Knights vs. Jets NHL Playoffs Betting Odds
The over went to 2-0 in the series, with the winning team scoring five goals in each win. That trend will get put to the test in Winnipeg, where only 13 of the Jets 41 home game finished over the total. The under has connected in 11 of Winnipeg’s last 14 Saturday games, and the same goes for four of Vegas’ last five on a Saturday.
Winning on the road was the Golden Knights’ specialty this season. They finished with a league-low seven regulation losses on the road this year and are 9-3 in their last 12 road games. The Jets finished the season winning five of six at home, benefitting from one of the loudest crowds in the NHL.
Vegas Golden Knights
Stone’s two-goal, one-assist night was exactly the production Vegas was lacking in Game 1, a night where head coach Bruce Cassidy called out the team’s intensity level. All of Vegas’ top guys got involved on the scoring sheet with Chandler Stephenson recorded a goal and an assist, Jack Eichel scoring his first career playoff goal, and William Karlsson scoring for the second straight game.
Laurent Brossoit started again in net and fared much better, stopping 31 of 33 shots faced. Although injured goalies Logan Thompson and Adin Hill still not ready to go, the crease is likely Brossoit’s until further notice as he is now 8-1-3 with Vegas this season.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg was a period away from stealing two games before heading home. But they proceeded to get outplayed for the first time in this series and are now even. A road split is not a bad result at all though for an eighth-seeded Jets team that is also still without forward Nikolaj Ehlers. An upper-body injury has kept Ehlers as day-to-day since April 11.
Adam Lowry opened up the scoring in Game 2, potting his team-leading third goal. Kevin Stenlund’s second career Stanley Cup Playoffs goal tied things back up at two. Mark Scheifele finished with a -3 plus-minus and no points. Linemate Kyle Connor had a game-high shots and none of Winnipeg’s top line got on the score sheet.
VEG
WIN