Golden Knights edge Wild in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Playoffs series

Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl, right, celebrates with defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, center, and Vegas Golden Knights left wing Brandon Saad (20) after scoring against the Minnesota Wild during the first period of game one in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena Sunday, April 20, 2025. Photo by: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Favorites dominated the opening weekend of the NHL playoffs, winning the first four games by an average margin of more than three goals.

The Vegas Golden Knights weren’t about to be the team to ruin the trend Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena. The Pacific Division champion Golden Knights downed the wild-card Minnesota Wild 4-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the teams’ best-of-seven first-round series.

As the final score indicated, the game wasn’t exactly a blowout like so much of the other NHL action in the early days of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Vegas was in control for the majority of the night but could never totally separate from Minnesota.

The Golden Knights got off to a faster start than their opposition but couldn’t cash in with a score on Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson until less than five minutes remained in the first period.  Second-line center Tomas Hertl got to a puck out of a faceoff and lofted it over Gustavsson’s shoulder from a near-parallel angle to start the scoring.

The lead barely lasted two minutes.

Minnesota’s top scorer from the regular season, Matt Boldy, then answered with a blast from the faceoff circle off a crafty pass from superstar linemate Kirill Kaprizov.   

The score was the first of two on the night by Boldy, who also wrapped around the net for one at 11:46 of the third period.

The Wild’s top line looked like the best unit on the ice for much of the night. Kaprizov had a couple high-danger chances of his own, including one right in front of the net in the second period but Vegas goalie Adin Hill turned it away.

Hill finished with 19 saves on 21 shots on goal. Gustavsson’s tally was a more pedestrian 23 saves on 26 shots.

It could have been worse for Gustavsson.

The Golden Knights had three breakaways that they failed to convert into goals.

Gustavsson knocked away a wrister from Brett Howden in the first period and wouldn’t let Jack Eichel shake him late in the second period, but got lucky with Brandon Saad rushing down the slot in between the two.

Saad fired the puck past the goalie but it hit off the crossbar.

The Golden Knights retook the lead a few minutes later, six minutes into their first power play when Shea Theodore faked a shot to set up teammate Pavel Dorofeyev for a wide-open goal.

Howden found redemption early in the third period with a goal from a similar spot where he failed on his earlier breakaway. He also added an empty-netter at the buzzer, a goal that was at first ruled to come after time expired before being overruled to count.  

Vegas had reason to believe it could have beaten Minnesota by more in Game 1, but will have to settle for the series lead and positive momentum heading into the ensuing meetings. Game 2 is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more updates on the Golden Knights’ Game 1 win over the Wild.