The Minnesota Wild have looked sharp early, but the numbers point to a tough night against a Vegas team that has been rolling. On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, the Golden Knights take their four-game win streak into Minnesota, where the computer model sees the Wild winning 4-1.
That projection lines up with the rest of the forecast: Wild on the moneyline at -120, the under 6, and Minnesota giving 1.5 goals. The model’s average landing spot is 5.5 total goals, which keeps this one below the number.
Minnesota enters at 3-1-1 and has shown a few clear patterns. The Wild are -1-1 in overtime games, and when they’ve scored exactly two goals, they’ve finished 0-1-1.
But when the offense gets going, the results have followed. The Wild are 3-0-0 when they’ve scored at least three goals, and they’ve picked up five points in the four games where they cashed in on one power-play goal.
They’ve also done better when they control the shot count, going 2-1-0 in the three games they outshot their opponent.
Vegas comes in at 5-1, and the Golden Knights have been efficient in a few different ways. They’ve gone 2-0-2 in overtime games, earned four points in their three one-goal games, and won their lone contest when they scored exactly two goals.
The bigger offensive outputs have been even more profitable: Vegas is 5-0-0 in games where it has scored more than two goals, and it has picked up eight points in those five outings. When the Golden Knights have won the shot battle, they’ve been nearly flawless at 5-1-0.
The team stats show why this matchup is so tricky to call. Minnesota is scoring 3.00 goals per game and allowing 1.80, while Vegas is putting up 3.67 and allowing 2.33. The Golden Knights hold the edge in shots at 33.0 per game to Minnesota’s 29.0, but the Wild have been stingier in shots allowed, giving up 28.0 to Vegas’ 24.0.
Special teams could also matter. Minnesota’s power play has been excellent at 37.50%, and its penalty kill sits at 94.12%. Vegas is at 30.43% on the power play and 81.25% on the penalty kill.
The puck drops Monday night on ESPN+.
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Wild Blue Line Suddenly Has A Chance To Change This Start
Early this season, Minnesotas blue line has done more than just hold its own. Quinn Hughes and Jared Spurgeon have given the Wild a steady two-way presence, helping stabilize the defense while adding offense in a way that has mattered in the opening stretch of the schedule. For a team looking to settle into form, that kind of production from the back end can change the tone quickly.
Hughes and Spurgeon have also given the Wild something they had never seen before from their defensemen to start a season, and it has added a little extra weight to every game they play. The bigger question now is how long this early surge can keep carrying Minnesota, because once a blue line starts creating this kind of momentum, it can reshape the whole start. [Read more 🡒]