Golden Knights vs. Jets: Game 2 prediction
By Cody Rivera
The Winnipeg Jets won convincingly over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Will it be more of the same in Game 2?
Let the sensational playoff hockey continue.
The Western Conference Final between the Winnipeg Jets and the Vegas Golden Knights has potential to become a classic playoff series. These are two hockey teams that had tremendous regular seasons, both near the top of the Western Conference standings. Neither club will be an easy out for the other, even though the Jets certainly had their way in Game 1.
It didn’t take Winnipeg long to solve Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is well renowned for his long tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, having been a member of multiple Stanley Cup-winning teams. But the Jets quickly hammered his net, shooting the puck past him just 65 seconds into the game.
Winnipeg continued to pile on, scoring two more goals against Fleury in the first 7:35 of the first period, and cruised to a convincing, and somewhat stunning, 4-2 victory in Game 1.
Both of these teams have been very good on their home ice, and I could see this being one of those series where the home team wins every game. However, I fully expect the Golden Knights to come out as a different team in Game 2. Both goaltenders, Fleury and Connor Hellebuyck, will be locked in. Vegas will be much more comfortable and prepared for this game.
But the Jets will still defend their home ice. I think it will be a fairly low-scoring affair – 60 minutes of tough, grind-it-out hockey. Even though Fleury will likely play a great game, the Jets will crack the scoreboard first, in either the second or the third period. The home ice advantage will ultimately make the difference in the game, and the Jets will win somewhere along the lines of a 2-1 final score.
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Once the series shifts to Las Vegas for Games 3 and 4, that’s when the tide will turn in favor of the Golden Knights. Home ice advantage will come into play for both of these teams. Regardless, this series is just getting started.
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