The Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights have a tied-up series at 2-2 going into Game 5, in Las Vegas on Tuesday, April 29. This series has seen it all, with standout performances and exciting finishes, there hasn't been much disappointment from either team so far.
The funny thing about this series, is that it has shades resembling the last time these two teams met in the playoffs. Back in 2021, these teams faced off against each other in the first round, with Vegas taking the series in seven games.
It is time for the Wild to get revenge in 2025.
Link to the past
This series went to seven games back in 2021. The Golden Knights went up 3 games to 1 before the Wild came storming back and completing the miraculous comeback. The Wild lost game seven in a 6-2 blugeoning, ending the season.
Now, things are a little different but are tranding that way. In 2021, the Wild did not hold a series lead after three games. This season, they were up 2-1 after Game 3, before dropping the most recent Game 4, 4-3 in overtime.
As the current series is a best-of-seven, with both teams having a set of wins, the idea of a Game 7 looks prevalent right now;. It almost seems like it is destiny for these teams to meet in the playoffs, play a chaotic and heart-stopping series that goes the distance.
Wild have to dig deep to reverse their previous fate
The teams look completely different between the 2021 version of the Wild and Golden Knights, and the 2025 version. Goaltender Marc-André Fleury was the starting goaltender for Vegas and is now backed up by goaltender Filip Gustavsson, one of the most significant changes from then and now. For Vegas, they now rely on Adin Hill, who has had an erratic series thus far. Fleury was rock solid in 2021, giving the Wild no chance of sealing the comeback and winning it in Game 7.
Vegas also now has Jack Eichel, who was on the team but not in the lineup during the 2021 matchup. In this series, he has an assist in the first four games of the series, but watch out for him if he can get going. For the Wild, their big difference maker is Matt Boldy, who continues proving that he is the X-Factor in this series.
It will take a complete effort, but the Wild can surmount this uphill battle and win this series. It would be an upset of the ages, but a valid one.