The Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights face off in a pivotal Game 3 at Xcel Energy Center with their first-round playoff series deadlocked at one game apiece.
After Vegas dominated the opener with a 4-2 win, Minnesota stormed back with an impressive 5-2 victory in Game 2 behind stellar performances from Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, who have combined for five goals and four assists in the series.
With Filip Gustavsson's strong goaltending (.914 save percentage) giving Minnesota momentum and Vegas looking for Jack Eichel to break out after being held pointless so far, this matchup sets up as a classic playoff chess match between offensive firepower and defensive resilience.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights matchup, our predictive model gives the Knights a 50.67% chance of defeating the Wild.
Vegas Golden Knights: 50.67% win probability
- Superior position in standings (2nd in Western Conference vs Wild's 7th position)
- Higher point total (110 points compared to Wild's 97 points)
- Better overall win record (50 wins vs 45 for Minnesota)
Minnesota Wild: 49.33% win probability
- Negative goal differential (-11 with 228 goals for and 239 against)
- Fewer total points despite playing same number of games (97 points vs Vegas' 110)
- Lower win percentage (45 wins in 82 games compared to Vegas' 50 wins in 82 games)
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.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights odds
Here are the latest odds for the NHL matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild, with Minnesota hosting at home on Thursday, April 24.
| Minnesota Wild | Vegas Golden Knights | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +140 (via Caesars Sportsbook) | -146 (via FanDuel Sportsbook) |
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Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights preview
The Golden Knights and Wild head into a pivotal Game 3 with their first-round series deadlocked at one game apiece after Minnesota's impressive 5-2 bounce-back victory evened things up.
Vegas dominated the opener 4-2 behind their typically stingy defense that allowed just 2.61 goals per game this season, but their blue line faltered in Game 2, forcing goaltender Adin Hill to face a barrage he couldn't handle.
Minnesota's dynamic duo of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy has been electric, combining for five goals and four assists through the first two contests while breathing life into an offense that struggled during parts of the regular season.
The series now shifts to the Xcel Energy Center, where the Wild hope to capitalize on home ice with Filip Gustavsson (.914 save percentage in the series) continuing to frustrate a Vegas attack still waiting for star center Jack Eichel to make his mark.
Veteran defensemen Noah Hanifin and Alex Pietrangelo will need to stabilize a Golden Knights defense that looked uncharacteristically vulnerable last time out, while Minnesota's blue line pairing of Brock Faber and Jacob Middleton aims to continue their disruptive play in the neutral zone.
Key stats
- 1Vegas sits 2nd in the Western Conference with 110 points, while Minnesota ranks 7th with 97 points—a 13-point gap between the teams.
- 2The Golden Knights have won 50 games this season compared to Minnesota's 45, giving Vegas a slight edge in overall performance.
- 3Vegas shows inconsistent recent form (WLWWL) while Minnesota enters with stronger momentum (WWLWW).
- 4Both teams score effectively—Vegas has 275 goals for and Minnesota has 228—but Vegas concedes slightly less (219 GA vs Minnesota's 239).
Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights form
Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights head to head
Minnesota Wild
17%
Vegas Golden Knights
83%
Apr 23, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights
2 : 5
Minnesota Wild
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
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