Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 2 Prediction, NHL Odds
Minnesota made the opening game entertaining but fell short in a 4-2 loss on Sunday. The game was pretty even all the way through the first period before Vegas found its legs and began to take the lead. The Wild have an opportunity to steal home ice advantage on Tuesday versus a Knights team that has been great at home this season.
The NHL odds have Vegas as -250 favourites, and the game total is sitting at 5.5 goals. Puck drop for Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena is set for 11:00 p.m. ET.
Wild vs. Golden Knights NHL Betting Odds
The Golden Knights are now -590 favourites to win the series, and the Wild are set at +425. The most likely result is a 4-1 Vegas win (+230), but the Wild have been very good on the road this season, so do not be shocked if they steal more than one in the series.
Matt Boldy scored both of the goals for Minny and is now the favourite to lead the series in scoring. He sits at +240, leapfrogging linemate Kirill Kaprizov (+425). Brett Howden also scored a pair on the other side, but is only +900 behind other Knights Pavel Dorofeyev (+500) and Tomas Hertl (+550), who also scored in Game 1.
Vegas has moved to +800 to win the Cup and +375 to come out of the Western Conference on the NHL futures board. At this point, the Western Conference winner looks like a three-horse race between Winnipeg, Colorado and Vegas.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild proved they could skate with the Knights in Game 1, playing a pretty back-and-forth game through the first 20 minutes. The game plan was to play physical, which was evident as they finished the game with 54 hits. Their in-your-face style will certainly break down the Knights over time, but it was also their demise in Game 1. Vegas capitalized on both power play opportunities they were given, which single-handedly won them the game. Minnesota had only one power play of its own, coming in the third period.
Kaprizov assisted on both of Boldy’s goals, not missing a step despite being out for an extended period before the playoffs. The Wild’s first line did all the damage for them in this one, and the team will need contributions from the bottom lines to turn the tides in the series.
Just 10 days before the game, Zeev Buium was playing in college before making his NHL debut in Game 1. The 19-year-old defenceman played a solid 13:27 on the Wild’s third pair.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas’ playoff experience was the difference in the opener as they struggled to get things going through the first half of the game. They missed on three breakaways in the middle frame, but kept their composure, taking the lead on a power play from Pavel Dorofeyev. They stuck with it in the third period as Brett Howden scored what was the eventual game winner.
Howden continued his breakout season, potting a pair in Game 1 after netting an impressive 23 this season. He had never scored double-digit goals before this season as a fourth-line winger.
The Knights are a big, tough squad, so being out-hit 54-29 did not faze their veteran blue liners. Five of their defenceman logged over 19 minutes, which helps keep them all fresh.
Tomas Hertl joined the team last year’s deadline and has been a key player all season, scoring over 30 goals for the third time in his career. He was huge in Sunday’s game, opening the scoring on a beautiful shot in the first period, before winning a key face-off to set up another. The 31-year-old centre has plenty of playoff experience from his days in San Jose, sitting at 45 points in 70 postseason appearances.
MIN
VEG