FSM Recap: Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild: NHL Game 7

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Vegas Golden Knights (5-2-0) | Minnesota Wild (4-1-1)

The Vegas Golden Knights saw their four-game winning streak end Monday night, falling 4-2 to the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Minnesota struck three times in the opening period, forcing Vegas to spend the rest of the game chasing the score. Although the Golden Knights mounted a fiery comeback, the early deficit proved to be too much to overcome.

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Video Courtesy: NHL

Game Summary: Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild

TEAM	1	2	3	Final
VGK	0	1	1	2
MIN	3	0	1	4

Minnesota Strikes Early To Take Control

The Wild set the tone with three first-period goals. Matt Boldy opened the scoring at 11:50, followed by Maxim Shabanov on a power play. Danila Yurov added another at 16:57, sending Minnesota into the first intermission with a commanding 3-0 lead.

Vegas struggled to set its rhythm early, shooting just six shots in the opening period. The Golden Knights faced an uphill battle, but their response after the first intermission showed they weren’t going to surrender.

Andersson And Karlsson Ignite The Comeback

Defenseman Rasmus Andersson put Vegas on the board at 2:37 of the second period, firing a slap shot past goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. Raphael Lavoie assisted on the goal, with that being the first point of his NHL career.

The Golden Knights carried that momentum into the third period, where William Karlsson finished a two-on-one rush to cut Minnesota’s lead to 3-2. Brett Howden and Mitch Marner both helped create the opportunity, bringing Vegas within striking distance.

Suddenly, a three-goal deficit is now a one-goal game, putting pressure on Minnesota to protect its lead.

The Wild Hold Firm To Seal The Victory

Vegas pressed for an equalizer late in the third, but Wallstedt made the necessary saves to keep Minnesota’s lead. The Golden Knights also struggled to capitalize on their power-play chances, finishing without a goal on five very much needed chances.

With 1:22 remaining, Joel Eriksson Ek scored into the empty net, sealing Minnesota’s 4-2 victory.

Vegas Looks To Bounce Back Quickly

The loss drops Vegas to 5-2-0 and ends its four-game winning streak. While the comeback showed resilience, the three-goal opening period proved too much to overcome.

The Golden Knights will need a stronger start and better special-teams execution as they turn their attention to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. The quick turnaround gives Vegas an immediate opportunity to respond and prevent one rough performance from stopping its momentum and promising start to the season.

Post-Game

Head coach Ryan Craig did not like how his team handled the stretch that let Minnesota pull away, but he was not ringing any alarms. “I didn’t love our composure right at that point, but it doesn’t concern me. I think it’s just that we have to be fully aware of it a little bit quicker to get it back at that point,” Craig said.

Karlsson spread the credit around for the third-period goal that made it a one-goal game. “Mitch got it up to Howie, and then Howie with the nice little sauce. Then you just have to shoot it,” Karlsson said. (Quotes via The Hockey News, via Yahoo Sports.)

Keep up with every game in our Vegas Golden Knights hub, relive how Marner ended it in overtime against the Kings, and read why William Karlsson is staying golden in Vegas.

TOP PERFORMERS

Vegas Golden Knights	G / A / PTS	Minnesota Wild	G / A / PTS
William Karlsson	1 / 0 / 1	Quinn Hughes	0 / 2 / 2
Rasmus Andersson	1 / 0 / 1	Matt Boldy	1 / 0 / 1
Tomas Hertl	0 / 1 / 1	Joel Eriksson Ek	1 / 0 / 1
Brett Howden	0 / 1 / 1	Maxim Shabanov	1 / 0 / 1
Carter Hart (G)	24 saves, .889	Jesper Wallstedt (G)	21 saves, .913

TEAM STATS

Category	Vegas Golden Knights	Minnesota Wild
Shots on Goal	23	28
Power Play	0-5	1-1
Faceoffs Won	30 (51.7%)	28 (48.3%)
Hits	19	18
Blocked Shots	16	19
Giveaways	11	13
Takeaways	3	6
Penalty Minutes	7	15

Goals: Andersson, Karlsson | Attendance: 17,566 at Grand Casino Arena

Next up: The Golden Knights visit the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Bridgestone Arena. Puck drop is 5:45 p.m. PT on Scripps Sports.

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– Jordan Vega – Franchise Sports Media

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Jordan Vega

Jordan Vega is a Mexican American and Native American sports broadcaster from Coachella, California. He has played football since age seven and played college football at Orange Coast College. After high school, Jordan served in the U.S. Navy, where he discovered judo and earned two national gold medals while training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Now studying Sports Broadcasting at UNLV and competing in wrestling, Jordan is passionate about telling authentic sports stories and creating greater representation in sports media. His goal is to become a household name and inspire the next generation.