Wild vs Golden Knights Picks and Prediction – 4/23/2025

The Minnesota Wild are down 1-0 in this first-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Wild finished the regular season at 45-30-7 and dropped Game 1 on the road 4-2. Vegas, who owns a dominant 29-9-3 home record, used a strong third period to take control of the opener. Puck drops for Game 2 at 9:00 PM ET from T-Mobile Arena. Hit the ice running with our NHL picks.

Minnesota has been scrappy lately, winning three of the last five, including a wild 8-7 overtime win over San Jose, but couldn’t keep up with Vegas in the series opener. Filip Gustavsson was solid all season with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage, but stopping Vegas’ top lines is no easy task. Matt Boldy is doing the heavy lifting offensively with 27 goals and 46 assists for 73 points, and his production will be critical if the Wild want to steal one in Vegas.

The Wild are giving up 2.88 goals per game while only scoring 2.74. The power play is middle of the pack at 20.9%, but the penalty kill is weak at 72.4%. The Wild also struggle with discipline, racking up 612 penalty minutes. Gustavsson is the key between the pipes, with veteran Marc-Andre Fleury available as backup. Troy Grosenick remains out, but his absence isn’t impacting the lineup. 

Vegas has won four of its last five and looked in control most of Game 1. Jack Eichel continues to be a force with 94 points on 28 goals and 66 assists, while Pavel Dorofeyev has stepped up as a major scoring threat with 35 goals. Vegas spreads the puck well and stays aggressive offensively, putting 30.2 shots on goal per game.

Defensively, Vegas is stout, allowing only 2.61 goals per game and limiting opponents to 26.1 shots a night. The power play is clicking at 28.3%, and the penalty kill is solid at 75.7%. Adin Hill leads the goalie rotation with a 2.47 GAA and a .906 save percentage, and there are no current injury concerns for the Knights. Vegas has home ice, better special teams, and better goaltending.

Vegas just looks too complete. They have more scoring options, better defense, and elite goaltending with Adin Hill anchoring things down. Minnesota’s special teams are a liability, and that’s a recipe for disaster against a team like Vegas, which owns a top-tier power play. Until the Wild get more scoring, this one feels lopsided. Final Score Prediction: Vegas Golden Knights win 4-2.