What to Watch For: Golden Knights vs. Wild

The Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild series is one of the most difficult to predict. The Golden Knights are a perennial Stanley Cup contender with a championship group eager for another run. The Wild counter with a rejuvenated lineup, led by superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov. Game 1 will be telling as both teams try to gain momentum. Here's what to watch for as the series gets rolling.

1. Gustavsson's Inexperience

The Wild are relying heavily on starting goalie Filip Gustavsson. The 26-year-old puck-stopper had the best season of his career, amassing a record of 31-19-6 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

The postseason is a different beast, something Gustavsson hasn't experienced yet. He's played in just five playoff games, going 2-3 in that brief sample size. Going against an experienced Vegas team, Gustavsson must not let his inexperience cost him in Game 1 and this series.

2. Hertl the Turtle

While a majority of the Golden Knights' lineup was a part of their 2023 Stanley Cup run, winger Tomas Hertl was not. The former San Jose Sharks star joined Vegas at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline and is looking to make an impact in his second postseason with the club.

If his regular season was any indication, Hertl will be a problem for the Wild to handle. In 73 games, he scored 32 goals and finished with 61 points.

3. Two Bad Penalty Kills

Neither of these teams have an especially good penalty killing unit. The Wild killed just 72.4% of the penalties against them, ranking 30th in the NHL. The Golden Knights were a bit better, stopping 75.7% of the power play opportunities against them. That figure was good for 26th.

What this suggests is that the power play is crucial. Both teams struggle to kill penalties. The question becomes, who will take advantage?