After securing a 4-2 victory in the series opener, the Vegas Golden Knights (-182) look to defend home ice against the Minnesota Wild (+150) in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round playoff matchup at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night.
The Golden Knights controlled much of Game 1 behind strong performances from Tomas Hertl and Brett Howden, while the Wild's offense continued to struggle, managing just two goals despite the efforts of Kirill Kaprizov.
With Vegas's defense limiting Minnesota to just 20 shots in the opener, the Wild will need significant offensive improvement to avoid falling into a 2-0 series hole.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild matchup, our predictive model gives the Golden Knights a 77% chance of defeating the Wild.
Pre-game probabilities
Vegas Golden Knights
Moneyline
Win %
77%
23%
Minnesota Wild
Vegas Golden Knights: 77% win probability
- Strong home-ice advantage (50 wins overall, 2nd in Western Conference)
- Superior goal production (275 goals for, significantly higher than Minnesota's 228)
- Better points accumulation (110 points in the season compared to Minnesota's 97 points)
Minnesota Wild: 23% win probability
- Negative goal differential (-11, having allowed 239 goals while scoring only 228)
- Lower winning percentage (45 wins compared to Vegas' 50)
- Road game vulnerability (7th place in Western Conference shows struggles against higher-ranked teams like Vegas)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts.
Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
| Vegas Golden Knights | Minnesota Wild | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline |
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Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild preview
The Vegas Golden Knights aim to build on their Game 1 momentum after securing a 4-2 victory in the Western Conference first-round opener against the Minnesota Wild, with the pivotal Game 2 set for Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Tomas Hertl and Brett Howden powered Vegas' attack in the series opener, combining for three goals while defensemen Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and Alex Pietrangelo added three assists to fuel a balanced offensive effort.
Minnesota's offensive struggles continued in Game 1, managing just two goals despite standout performances from Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, a concern for a Wild team that averaged just 2.74 goals per game during the regular season.
Both goaltenders will be under scrutiny as the series progresses—Vegas' Adin Hill was solid in Game 1 stopping 18 of 20 shots, while Minnesota's Filip Gustavsson (83-59-20 career record) allowed three goals on 26 shots in the opener.
The Golden Knights' power play could prove decisive again after converting on two opportunities in Game 1, a stark advantage over Minnesota's special teams that went scoreless with the man advantage.
Home ice has been kind to Vegas throughout the season, and they'll look to leverage their rowdy T-Mobile Arena crowd to take a commanding 2-0 series lead before heading to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild form
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild head to head
Vegas Golden Knights
100%
Minnesota Wild
0%
Apr 21, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights
4 : 2
Minnesota Wild
Mar 26, 2025
Minnesota Wild
1 : 5
Vegas Golden Knights
Jan 13, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights
4 : 1
Minnesota Wild
Dec 15, 2024
Minnesota Wild
2 : 3
Vegas Golden Knights
Apr 13, 2024
Vegas Golden Knights
7 : 2
Minnesota Wild
Mar 30, 2024
Minnesota Wild
1 : 2
Vegas Golden Knights
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