Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights: Game 1

By Sam Batz

Game 1 of the First Round Series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Vegas Golden Knights is set to begin on Tuesday, April 18th in Las Vegas (9:30 PM EST, ESPN 2). The Golden Knights are the higher seed, and thus get the all important home rink advantage. Winnipeg are not expected to make it past the First Round and are the only team from the Western Conference to make the playoffs with fewer than 100 points. The Jets are +1.5 goal underdogs, with a moneyline priced at +125. The Golden Knights are -1.5 goal favorites, with a moneyline priced at -145.  

The Winnipeg Jets (+125) 

The Winnipeg Jets went 46-33-3 (95 points) during the regular season. They finished 4th in the Central Division, 8th in the Western Conference, and 14th in the NHL. They are the only playoff team from the West with 30+ losses, and have the fewest OTL’s (3) in the entire conference. The Jets never beat Vegas during the regular season, going 0-2-1 against the Golden Knights, recording 8 goals for and 13 goals against. Winnipeg is on the road for the first two games of the series, and in away games, the Jets won 48.8% of the time.   

The Vegas Golden Knights (-145)

The Golden Knights are this year’s Western Conference leaders. They went 51-22-9 (111 points), which is Vegas’s best regular season record since joining the NHL in 2018. The last time the Golden Knights recorded 50+ wins, they went to the Stanley Cup Final. This year, Vegas has a 15% chance to make it to the Finals, but first have to get past the Jets. The Golden Knights are undefeated against Winnipeg this season, going 3-0-0, recording 13 goals for and 8 goals against, giving them a 68% chance to make it past the First Round.  

Jets vs. Golden Knights Opening Odds

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Jets vs. Golden Knights: Regular Season Stats

Jets vs. Golden Knights: Betting Trends

Jets vs. Golden Knights: Game Changers

Winnipeg Jets

• Kyle Connor leads the Jets with 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists) but in three games against Vegas this season, he recorded just 1 point (0 goals, 1 assist)
• Mark Scheifele leads the Jets with 42 goals in the regular season. Scheifele recorded a hat-trick the last time he faced the Golden Knights
• Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will likely start between the sticks in Game 1. He was 37-25-2 (T-3rd) and averaged 2.49 GA/G (11th) in the regular season

Vegas Golden Knights

• Vegas has a lot of depth. During the regular season, 6 players recorded 50+ points for the Golden Knights
• Jack Eichel leads the team with 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists), followed closely by Chandler Stephenson with 65 points (16 goals, 49 assists)
• Several Vegas Goaltenders are out due to injuries, paving the way for Laurent Brossoit to get the start. Brossoit went 7-0-3 and averaged 2.17 GA/G in the regular season

Jets vs. Golden Knights Prediction 

Take the Vegas Golden Knights to win Game 1. The Golden Knights are back in the playoffs not because they went out and found the next Wayne Gretzky, but because they received continuous contributions from nearly every player in the lineup. When you have 20 players with double-digit points, you are going to be difficult to beat. The Golden Knights are not flashy, but they stick to the fundamentals, and they understand how to win games. Winnipeg is a decent team, and the Jets will likely win at least 2 games this series, but for Game 1 in Vegas, I am going with the Golden Knights. 

Prediction: Vegas Golden Knights Moneyline (-145)

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