Dallas Stars vs Vegas Golden Knights 9/8/20 - NHL Picks & Predictions

The Dallas Stars are set to meet the Vegas Golden Knights in game 2 of the Western Conference Finals inside the Edmonton, Canada NHL bubble. The Dallas Stars were able to defeat the Colorado Avalanche over 7 games in the 2nd round, and they were able to continue their winning ways by beating the Golden Knights in game 1 by a score of 1-0. The Stars didn’t get much scoring as they scored 1 goal on 25 shots, but John Klingberg could be accredited that goal as Jamie Benn and Radek Faksa racked up an assist. The Dallas Stars dominated the Vegas Golden Knights in the faceoff department (27-18) as well as out hit Vegas (49-47).

The Dallas Stars were very good at protecting their goal as they held the powerful Golden Knights scoreless on 25 shots. The Stars starting goaltender Anton Khudobin had an amazing game in the net as he recorded his 1st shutout of the season, and he continued decreasing his GAA which currently sits at 2.74. The Stars penalty kill was a huge reason behind their game 1 win as the unit went 4-4.

The Vegas Golden Knights were not able to steal game 1 from the Dallas Stars as they fell 1-0, and a reason behind their game 1 struggles could be contributed to their 2nd round matchup against the Vancouver Canucks as they took them the distance. The Golden Knights are one of the top scoring teams in the NHL, but they didn’t find much success against the Stars as they were held scoreless on 25 shots. Nate Schmidt let the puck fly as he was credited 6 shots while Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith each recorded 3. 

The Vegas Golden Knights had a solid game on the defensive side of the ice as they held the Stars to 1 goal on 25 shots, but unfortunately the Stars 1st period goal was all that was needed. The Golden Knights starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had a good game in the net as he recorded 24 saves which pushed his GAA to 2.27. The Golden Knights will need to capitalize on their powerplay opportunities if they want to make a push to the Stanley Cup as 0 for 4 isn’t a recipe for success.