Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes Odds, Picks & Predictions - Game 2 - 06/04
After 82 regular season games and three rounds of the postseason, the NHL season has reached its zenith as the Stanley Cup Finals roll on in the Tar Heel State. The Vegas Golden Knights are on the road as they travel to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals series Thursday night and we have you covered with our Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes prediction.
In Game 1 of the series, Vegas rallied to pick up a 5-4 victory, drawing first blood. Will Vegas head home with a 2-0 series advantage or can the Hurricanes square things up here? Let’s break down this Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes matchup.
Golden Knights Shoot for 2-0 Series Edge
Vegas found themselves in a shootout in the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Fortunately for them, they had enough firepower to come away with the victory. The Golden Knights hope for a repeat performance so they can head home with a 2-0 series advantage.
In Game 1, Vegas started slowly but got stronger as the game wore on, helping them rally for the win. The Golden Knights lost the shot battle 12-4 in the opening period and were fortunate to trail just 2-1 after 20 minutes. After going down 2-0, Shea Theodore got the Golden Knights on the board with his fifth goal of the playoffs. The marker, which came at 13:28, saw Brayden McNabb and Cole Smith draw the assists. In the second period, Vegas owned an 11-5 advantage in shots and outscored Carolina 2-1 in the stanza. That left the game even at three at the second intermission. Ivan Barbashev tied the game 30 seconds into the period. His sixth of the playoffs was assisted by Jack Eichel and McNabb. William Karlsson made it 3-2 with his second of the postseason at 4:35. Mitch Marner and Brett Howden drew assists.
Carolina knotted the score later in the period. In the third period, Vegas fell in shots 12-8 but outscored Carolina 2-1 to earn the win. Howden gave the Golden Knights a 4-3 lead with his 11th of the playoffs at 1:21. Theodore and McNabb assisted on that goal. After Carolina leveled the score again, Tomas Hertl tallied the winner at 16:36. His fourth goal of the postseason was assisted by Colton Sissons and Theodore.
Carter Hart made 23 saves for the Golden Knights, who were outshot 27-23, in the win. Hart (13-4, 2.27 GAA, .920 save percentage) gets the call between the pipes for Vegas again here.
Hurricanes Looking to Regroup After Rare Defeat
Carolina sliced and diced their way to the Stanley Cup Finals, winning 12 of 13 games to advance. The Hurricanes’ uncharacteristic lapses in the defensive zone burned them in the opener and they have to avoid similar mistakes here. Otherwise, they could be staring a 2-0 deficit in the face.
In Game 1, Carolina jumped in front early but didn’t put Vegas down for the count, which proved costly. The Hurricanes owned a 12-4 advantage in shots in the opening 20 minutes but skated off only up 2-1 on the scoreboard. Nikolaj Ehlers opened the scoring with his fifth of the playoffs just 25 seconds into the game. Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield drew the assists on the goal. Later in the period, Ehlers struck for his second of the night and sixth of the playoffs at 12:08 off an assist from Chatfield. The Hurricanes surrendered a goal just 80 seconds later to halve their lead.
In the second period, the Hurricanes lost the shot battle 11-5 and outscored 2-1 to leave the game even at three after 40 minutes. Carolina gave up the first two goals of the period to trail 3-2 before Jordan Staal knotted the game with his third of the postseason. That goal, which came at 12:42, was assisted by K’Andre Miller. The third period saw the Hurricanes hold a 12-8 shot advantage but they lost 2-1 in goals to end up on the short end of the scoreboard. After giving up a goal to trail 4-3, Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game with his third of the playoffs at 11:19. That marker was unassisted. Carolina gave up the go-ahead goal with 3:24 remaining and was unable to get the equalizer.
Frederik Andersen made 18 saves for the Hurricanes, who held a 27-23 advantage in shots, in the loss. Andersen (12-2, 1.65 GAA, .920 save percentage, three shutouts) gets the call between the pipes again for Carolina.
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Vegas is:
- 2nd in the league in the postseason in scoring offense (3.71 goals per game)
- 4th in goals against (2.47)
- 5th in power play success (22.4%)
- 5th in penalty killing (88%)
Carolina is:
- 6th in the league in the postseason in scoring offense (3.29 goals per game)
- 1st in goals against (1.86)
- 13th in power play success (12.1%)
- 2nd in penalty killing (92.9%)
Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes Prediction
We saw Carolina get punched in the mouth in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals by taking the next four games. The Hurricanes find themselves in a similar situation here but they’ll need to be sharper in their own end. Montreal never posed a real threat as they were unable to generate quality scoring chances. That’s something this Vegas team does in spades and, more importantly, they capitalize on their opportunities. Carolina’s offense improved as the postseason wears on but they need to get back to playing defense. Vegas isn’t a team you want to get in a shootout against, especially in a seven-game series. Look for Carolina to go back to basics and find a way to scratch out a win here.
Our Prediction: Hurricanes ML (BetMGM, -160)
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