The Minnesota Wild have taken a 2-1 series lead against the Vegas Golden Knights, and they are set on making it a 3-1 series lead in game four on Saturday afternoon.
One player in particular, the Wild’s 23-year-old rising star Matt Boldy, has been a difference maker in this series. His ability to change the game on a dime, is one of the key reasons why the Wild have a strong chance of upsetting one of the top teams in the NHL, and one of the current favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
He can carry them into second round
The Wild have battled hard against the higher-ranked Golden Knights. These first three games have been physical and high-scoring and showcased some impressive performances. Boldy has been a significant figure in all three games thus far, and we expect that to continue as long as the series goes.
In three games, he has averaged 22:08 of ice time and has made the most of it. Boldy has lit the lamp four times and added two helpers for a tie with Toronto’s Mitch Marner and St. Louis’ Pavel Buchnevich for the third-most points in the playoffs, with six.
Boldy will be a go-to guy for the Wild for years to come, and could be the sole reason they get pushed into the second round of these current playoffs.
All on his shoulders?
But is it all on his shoulders? Let’s not forget that there are also some other key players on this roster. Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, and Marcus Foligno are all fantastic players helping out Boldy.
This team has a very high ceiling, and they can upset the Knights. It will take a full team effort, but Boldy will stand above the rest as being the most valuable player of this series.