A quick start fizzled just as quickly for the Golden Knights Tuesday night, who fell 5-2 in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild. Kiril Kaprizov and Matt Boldy had three of the five Wild goals; the third one by Kaprizov effectively ended the game early in the second period.
The physicality that Vegas had in Game 1 was mostly missing here in Game 2, especially when it came to blocked shots (13 compared to Minnesota’s 30). All you can hope is that tonight was an aberration brought about by some top-notch goaltending by Wild starter Filip Gustavsson. Here are my three takeaways from a night to recycle at the Fortress.
bump in the road tonight 😕https://t.co/O8j228dhA5
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 23, 2025
‘Sugar Crash’ first period dooms Vegas
For the first 4:38, the Vegas Golden Knights looked every bit the same dominant team they were through a lot of Game 1. Then Ryan Hartman had the Wild’s first shot, combined seconds later by a brutal hit by Marcus Foligno on Zach Whitecloud, and that energy completely transferred to the Minnesota end. They’d turn that into three goals from up and down their lineup.
It wasn’t until around the middle part of the second period that the Golden Knights started to regain some semblance of that offensive rhythm. Is the series suddenly in peril after Tuesday night? Absolutely not. But what happened in that first period is a flashing yellow warning for this team going into the rest of the series.
Adin Hill had a broken mirror kind of night in net
There were flashes earlier in that first period where Hill looked like the same dialed-in brick wall that he was in Game 1. But he still gave up four goals in seven shots through that first and into the second period. It was a mix of snakebit and a little ugly that left Vegas in a hole that was too big to climb out of. It was the third time he’s given up more than three goals in a start, which also provides the sign of hope to take going into Game 3 in Minnesota.
After the first time he gave up four goals (Game 4 of the West second round in 2023), he had 32 saves in Game 5 in a 4-3 comeback win over Edmonton. And after the second time it happened (Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals that year), he posted a 23-save shutout that got Vegas to the Stanley Cup Finals. Bottom line: He has that gear to his game and will need to show it off Thursday night.
Another day, another wide discrepancy in the top lines
It’s not a big shock that the top line for the Minnesota Wild is playing as brilliantly as they’ve been these first two games (five goals, four assists, combined +5). It is a shock that the top line for the Golden Knights has been the opposite of that. They are pointless and a combined -7 through the first two games of the series.
As great as the forward depth is for Vegas, that kind of production from your top line is playing with fire. They were saved in Game 1 by the power play as well as the stalwart play of the second line. In Game 2 though, as shots were either smothered by either Wild forwards or Filip Gustavsson, it came to burn them.
Next on the Marquee:
The series shifts over to the Twin Cities for Game 3 on Thursday night at 6 P.M. Minnesota seems to have found a possible recipe to make this a series: go out to a big lead heading into the third, and let Gustavsson shut and lock it down after that. It seems, outside of the top line making an appearance, that keeping this close or leading heading into the third is a top priority for Vegas in Game 3. It's also trying to find a way to stop Kaprizov and Boldy. But given how they’ve played this season, it’s kinda like catching rain with your bare hands. Until then…