Minnesota takes series lead with explosive offense and rock-solid defense in front of a raucous home crowd.
The Minnesota Wild turned the Xcel Energy Center into a full-blown hockey rave on April 24, 2025, dropping a 5-2 beatdown on the Vegas Golden Knights that had fans howling louder than a pack of actual wild animals. Kirill Kaprizov decided to host his own power-play party, scoring two goals that made Vegas’ penalty kill look like it was on vacation.
Kaprizov’s first goal came just minutes into the game, setting the tone with a laser that probably left a scorch mark on the net. Not to be outdone, Marco Rossi netted his first career postseason goal, and Matt Boldy continued his scoring streak with an unassisted beauty.
Vegas tried to keep up, with Alex Pietrangelo and Reilly Smith each finding the back of the net, but it was like bringing a butter knife to a sword fight. Their goalie, Adin Hill, had a rough night, allowing four goals on 21 shots before being replaced by Akira Schmid, who managed to stop all nine shots he faced.
Filip Gustavsson stood tall for Minnesota, making 30 saves and turning away Vegas’ attempts like a bouncer at an exclusive club.
The Wild’s defense was on point, blocking shots and clearing pucks like their lives depended on it. Even when the Golden Knights tried to mount a comeback, Minnesota slammed the door shut with an empty-netter from Marcus Foligno, sealing the deal and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
With this win, the Wild take a 2-1 lead in the series, and if they keep playing like this, Vegas might need more than luck to turn things around.
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