By Michael Russo, Jesse Granger and Joe Smith
LAS VEGAS – The Minnesota Wild found a way to steal a game here, but the Vegas Golden Knights made it interesting.
Minnesota jumped out to a 4-0 lead, sparking boos from the sellout crowd at T-Mobile Arena. But Vegas responded by scoring twice, including Tomas Hertl’s goal with just over 17 minutes to go in the third, which narrowed it to a two-goal game.
The Wild white-knuckled it the rest of the way to hold on for a 5-2 victory to even the best-of-seven first-round series at 1-1. Game 3 is Thursday in St. Paul, with Game 4 on Saturday.
“We came out of the gates hot,” Wild forward Ryan Hartman said. “All around, I think we played a pretty smart hockey game.
“It’s playoff hockey. I think it suits us well.”
Minnesota got first-period goals from Matt Boldy, Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello, plus two goals from Kirill Kaprizov, who sealed the game with an empty-netter with just over two minutes to go. Kaprizov had three points and already has five in the series. His 12 career playoff goals have tied Marian Gaborik for second place in franchise history.
Boldy, who scored both of the Wild’s goals in Game 1, became the second player in Wild history to score three consecutive team goals in the postseason. Gaborik (three in games 3 and 4 of 2003 second round) is the only other Wild player who had done so. Boldy also had an assist in Game 2.
Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves for his third career playoff win and had to be terrific early in the first period and late in the second period, when the Golden Knights pushed hard and outshot the Wild 11-3.
Noah Hanifin and Hertl scored for Vegas.
It was a big win for the Wild because teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 353-56 (.863), including a 266-34 (.887) mark when starting at home.
“But it’s only two games,” Zuccarello said. “We’re playing a hell of a team over there.”
Zuccarello makes it a THREE-goal lead for the Wild! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vOT01kN6TH
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 23, 2025
Kaprizov, Boldy deliver
You need your best players to be difference-makers in the playoffs, and Kaprizov and Boldy have certainly been that.
For the second straight game, the dynamic duo connected on a highlight-reel play to put Minnesota on the board. Kaprizov, who made a terrific cross-zone feed in a Game 1 assist to Boldy, this time flipped an unreal saucer pass to spring Boldy for a breakaway goal. Boldy said it might be the best pass he’s ever seen.
“It was unbelievable,” Boldy said.
this pass from Kaprizov to Boldy is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/umXX9OiUTx
— Shayna (@shaynagoldman_) April 23, 2025
Kaprizov got in on the action as well, scoring on a partial breakaway in the second, beating Adin Hill with a no-look shot. There were questions heading into the series about whether it made sense to play the Wild’s top two offensive players together on a line, or split them up. But it’s hard to argue with how Kaprizov-Boldy have shown chemistry together.
Wild’s second-leading scorer centers fourth line
Marco Rossi’s demotion to the fourth line in Game 2 actually wasn’t a surprise. When coach John Hynes telegraphed Monday that Hartman’s solid play in Game 1 would cause a promotion in the lineup, it was obvious that Rossi, despite this being his first NHL playoff appearance, would pay the price.
Rossi, the Wild’s second-leading scorer during the regular season, only logged 12:10 and had one shot on goal in Game 1. His game has taken a downturn the past few months and the Wild haven’t been happy with his pace and ability to break down defenders of late.
On the other hand, Hartman, who had 12 points in his past three postseasons for the Wild, was integral on both of Boldy’s goals in Game 1 and was one of the Wild’s more energetic, physical players.
That filtered right into Tuesday night, when the Wild were on the ropes in the first five minutes before Hartman’s line with Rossi’s Game 1 linemates, Foligno and Gustav Nyquist, turned the game around. It started with Nyquist’s quick up to Hartman, who drove the net. It was followed by Foligno crushing Zach Whitecloud on one of his six first-period hits (he had a franchise playoff record 12 on Tuesday, after totaling 11 in Game 1), then Nyquist taking a hit from Nicolas Hague to send Hartman into the zone for another chance.
The Wild dominated the period from there, with the Wild scoring three times in 7:19, the middle goal with Hartman setting up Foligno.
“I’m just trying to play the game hard, try to be undeniable and go out there and earn time,” Hartman said. “Obviously, we need everyone at all times. So I think there’s gonna be points where guys are jumping up and guys are going down, and that’s how you win this time of year.”
Ryan Hartman finds Marcus Foligno with a terrific centering pass, doubling Minnesota’s lead to 2!#mnwild | #StanleyCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/KEPB8JbDsM
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 23, 2025
In Game 2, Rossi played 8:56 and had one shot attempt, which was blocked. Hartman played 17:20 and had a minus-1 rating.
Hynes explained the decision Tuesday morning to put Rossi on the fourth line as having to do with matchups, how other guys (i.e. Hartman) played in Game 1 and wanting to add some offense to the fourth line with Yakov Trenin and Justin Brazeau.
“I think Brazeau and Trenin, when you look at the o-zone time (in Game 1), I would say it was (Joel Eriksson Ek’s) line and Brazeau and Trenin,” Hynes said. Marco is a really good two-way center who has some finish to his game. So, playing with two bigger bodies, … maybe (we can) get some scoring in that area as well.”
Rossi, 23, a pending restricted free agent whom the Wild could look to trade this offseason after he didn’t accept a recent mid-term contract offer, led the Wild in power-play goals (seven) and was second in assists (36) and points (60) and third in goals (24) during the regular season.
“There needs to be just a little bit more from Marco in that,” Hynes said. “When you get to this time of the year, there is another level of compete and speed. I would like to see him get a little bit better in those areas. “I am confident that Marco is going to help us and be a difference-maker in this series.”
Buium gets a second straight game
Zeev Buium felt more comfortable in Game 2 after his whirlwind NHL debut on Sunday.
“I felt like I got my feet under me,” Buium told The Athletic before Game 2. “I understand the pace now. Those little plays are magnified a little bit. I’ve got to be just a little bit quicker.”
Buium said it helped that he had tons of support from teammates such as Foligno, who jokingly told him, “It’s not hard.”
“They’ve been phenomenal, awesome,” Buium said. “Always coming up to me, making sure I’m good, telling me to play with confidence, to ‘do me.’”
Buium’s family stayed in Las Vegas for both games, and he was pumped that one of his older brothers, Shai, was able to attend on Sunday. Shai, a defenseman for the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate Grand Rapids, got permission to fly to Vegas on Sunday, then took a red-eye home postgame to be back for Monday’s practice.
“He’s that kind of big brother,” Buium said.
Vegas did get a goal in the second period from Hanifin after Buium poke-checked a puck off Nicolas Roy’s stick directly to the defenseman. But the goal mostly could be pinned to a poor backcheck by Zuccarello and Marcus Johansson.
He was also on for Hertl’s goal and finished minus-2 with partner Zach Bogosian. He played 12:45 and did not record a shot attempt.
Shea Theodore’s Knightmare start
To say Vegas’ top-scoring defensemen had a rough start to the game would be an understatement. Shea Theodore, who had a career-high 57 points this season, was on the ice for each of the Wild’s goals as they raced to a 4-0 lead, and gave the puck away leading up to each.
Theodore fired a shot from the point early in the game that was blocked by Boldy, who then raced down the ice for a breakaway goal to open the scoring. Later in the first period, Theodore fumbled the puck into the skates of his teammate, Hertl, on their way out of the defensive zone, and Foligno added to Minnesota’s lead.
Late in the first period, the puck rolled off Theodore’s stick right to Johansson, who found Zuccarello streaking to the net for the third straight Wild goal.
MATS ZUCCARELLO! 3-0 WILD!#mnwild | #StanleyCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/T2gZzZuDKs
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 23, 2025
The second period start wasn’t much better, with Theodore stumbling at the blue line while receiving a pass, which sprung Kaprizov on a breakaway to extend the Wild’s lead yet again.
Kirill Kaprizov sneaks one over the goal line on the odd man rush, adding to Minnesota’s lead in the 2nd!#mnwild | #StanleyCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/YiYxn8PjIs
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 23, 2025
“He’s trying to do too much out there. It’s that simple,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said of Theodore. “He was light on the puck tonight. What do you want me to say? He’s a great player for us. It wasn’t his night, and it snowballed. There’s a player trying to make amends, and I respect that. I like that. It didn’t go that way, and someone has to pick him up by putting out a fire.”
Theodore’s defensive partner, Brayden McNabb, finished with a minus-4 on-ice rating, his worst for any game in eight seasons with the Golden Knights.
Vegas played better than the score, but was undone by giveaways
While Theodore’s turnovers were the most noticeable, he wasn’t alone on Tuesday night. The Golden Knights gave the puck away 15 times in total. Before the series began, Cassidy knew this area would be a key for his team.
“Puck management is one of our most important elements in terms of how it gets away from us,” Cassidy said ahead of Game 1. “In general, it can be problematic for us when our game gets away from us, so it’s one of the keys to our game.”
Vegas actually held advantages in shots (31-17) and high danger scoring chances (10-7) according to Natural Stat Trick, and mounted a strong attack over the second half of the game, but couldn’t overcome the crucial mistakes early on.
“Throughout the entire game I thought we did a good job of controlling the pace,” Reilly Smith said. “It’s disheartening when you’re playing well, then when they get a chance, they go and score. You control the next five minutes, then they go and score.”
It was an uncharacteristic game for the Golden Knights in that aspect. While giveaways have been their biggest weakness for stretches this season, the team had been taking care of the puck incredibly well over the final month of the season, and had only seven giveaways in Game 1 on Sunday.
(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
