It feels like the Minnesota Wild are fighting an uphill battle. The Golden Knights have been the better team in almost every facet of this series. As Jonny Lazarus explains, Jack Eichel is a big reason why, and he expects him to shine once more on Thursday.
NHL
The Minnesota Wild return home tonight looking to force a Game 7 after a crushing Game 5 loss.
As my Golden Knights vs. Wild predictions explain, they’ll need to find a way to contain Jack Eichel if they have any hopes of defending home ice.
Find out why I don’t see that happening in my NHL picks for Thursday, May 1.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been the better team for the majority of this series, even though it has been incredibly close. Vegas has outshot the Minnesota Wild in every single game of the series as well, but Filip Gustavsson has been outstanding in goal, while Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy have not been able to be stopped.
The Golden Knights currently have the fifth-best high-danger chances per 60 in the playoffs right now, generating 11.61 per contest, while the Wild haven’t been able to generate as much as they’re fourth from the bottom with 9.03 HDCF/60. One of the biggest problems for Minnesota has been its lack of depth scoring. Only six players on their team have scored goals in this series, whereas for Vegas, they’ve had 11 different guys find the back of the net. This is going to catch up to them at some point.
Having success on the power play was key for Vegas going into Game 5, but they were able to squeak away with a win without scoring on any of their three attempts.
Minnesota’s time feels like it’s running out. I expect Vegas to close this thing out on Thursday night.
My Golden Knights vs Wild pick: Jack Eichel 3+ shots (-170 at BET99)
Jack Eichel had a very slow start to this series, but over his last two to three games, he’s started to come into form. Over his last three games in the series, Eichel has a combined 14 shots on goal and has had a minimum of three shots on goal in all three of those games.
The Minnesota Wild are surrendering 33.8 shots on goal per game, which is the third most in the playoffs, so you know Vegas will get their looks on goal, especially in an elimination game.
This season, Eichel was averaging 3.03 shots on goal per game; he should be able to hit this number with ease.
Jack Eichel 3+ shots
Jack Eichel 1+ point
Golden Knights moneyline
The Vegas Golden Knights need to put an end to this series. They have let the Minnesota Wild hang on long enough, but it should be clear who the better team is. Gustavsson has done everything he possibly could to keep the Wild in the series, but despite having to do it in overtime, Vegas has been able to solve him now in back-to-back games. The Golden Knights have the momentum now, they need to pounce on it.
Eichel now has points in two straight games, and as everyone who watches this team knows, he is the main facilitator for this team offensively. If the Golden Knights are going to end this series, it starts with Eichel continuing his strong play offensively.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Jack Eichel has had at least three shots on goal in three straight games. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Wild.
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Jonny Lazarus has loved hockey for as long as he can remember. After his Division I playing career at UMass-Amherst and Mercyhurst University came to an end in 2020, he transitioned from being a player to working in the media. He might be young in his career, but he has made appearances in numerous places like the NHL, and Bleacher Report, and this season he will be doing color commentary for a selection of UMass-Amherst hockey games.
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