It’ll be an early-season test for two top Western Conference teams as the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Minnesota Wild. The Wild have a hot start at 3-1-1, but the Golden Knights have lost just one of their first six games and are now on a four-game winning streak.
One big question for the Golden Knights is the reliability of their goaltending, as Carter Hart has started the season well with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. However, he's had some shaky stretches since returning to the NHL last season, and he won't get much help from the backup position, with Adin Hill struggling in both his starts. Jesper Wallstedt has had a similarly hot start to the season as Hart, starting every game and owning a 1.78 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. The Wild will eventually have to give Calvin Pickard a start, but Wallstedt will likely get the net again on Monday.
The Golden Knights have been one of the league's top offenses, and they match up well with the Wild, who struggle against teams with deep center-ice depth. Wallstedt's hot start is a concern, but Vegas will try to slow Minnesota's momentum on Monday evening.
Golden Knights vs Wild prediction: Golden Knights ML (-120) available at the time of publishing. Playable to that number.
