Wild vs Golden Knights

Vegas enters this contest with a nearly full roster and key players rounding into form, while Minnesota continues to battle depth issues on the back end and in goal. The Golden Knights have historically controlled this matchup and now find themselves pushing for home-ice advantage, giving extra incentive for their top lines and defensive pairings to drive play. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s recent form has improved slightly, but lingering absences and reliance on veteran goaltending raise questions about their ability to withstand Vegas’s wave of pressure for a full 60 minutes.

The Wild remain locked in a wild-card scramble, but Vegas’s deeper blue line and edge in high-danger chance creation should allow them to dictate tempo, particularly on home ice. Despite the heavy price tag, the combination of roster health, recent head-to-head dominance, and playoff urgency gives Vegas the inside track to cash the moneyline comfortably.

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Game 5 brings a razor-tight playoff series back to Saint Paul, where Minnesota leans on its defensive grit to survive a high-pressure spot. Despite missing key pieces on the blue line, the Wild have tightened their structure, funneling everything toward strong goaltending and limiting second-chance looks. Vegas, riding a postseason surge, faces questions about their offensive depth with injuries impacting their forward corps, forcing a heavier reliance on structured, low-risk hockey. With playoff stakes rising and both sides showing no appetite for track meets, the setup leans heavily toward another grind-it-out battle.

Recent postseason history between these teams supports a slower pace, and both coaching staffs have emphasized limiting odd-man rushes and playing clean through the middle. With the neutral zone expected to be a traffic jam all night and physical play ramping up, good looks at net will be precious. Under six goals offers strong value in a game where every shot—and every mistake—could be magnified under playoff pressure.

Vegas rides into Game 5 of the postseason series carrying strong momentum, powered by consistent top-line contributions and a blue line that has absorbed injuries more effectively than Minnesota’s patched-up defensive corps. The Wild’s reliance on younger defenders to soak heavy minutes has exposed cracks, particularly on the penalty kill, where efficiency has dipped noticeably. In net, Vegas benefits from a more reliable crease presence, while Minnesota’s road splits suggest an uphill battle against a disciplined Knights forecheck that limits easy looks.

Both teams understand what’s at stake with advancement hanging in the balance, but the Knights’ ability to roll four lines without major drop-off, coupled with recent historical success against this opponent, nudges the edge toward Vegas even catching a modest puckline cushion. At close to even money, it’s a strong value spot for a game that figures to stay tight but tilt toward the deeper, steadier roster down the stretch.

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