Bet Stars Will Shine, Even Series with Golden Knights
The Dallas Stars showed plenty of life to earn their first win of the series and are slight favorites in NHL odds to make the best-of-seven battle 2-2 when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night for Game 4.
Wyatt Johnson scored his second goal of the game 16:23 into overtime to give the Stars a 3-2 victory on Saturday and send under bettors to the pay window. Logan Thompson made 43 saves to give Vegas a chance.
“They took it to us,” Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb told reporters after posting a goal and an assist. “We had no business being in that game. LT stood on his head and saved us. …. We’ll learn from it and have a better start in Game 4.”
Dallas, which finished with the most points in the Western Conference during the regular season, lost the first two games at home. The Stars have seven goals in the first three games after registering 3.59 per contest in the regular season – third in the league.
Vegas is -180 to win the series in the Las Vegas hockey odds while Dallas is a juicy +160.
Stars vs Golden Knights Game Information
- Game: Stars (1-2) vs Golden Knights (2-1)
- Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.
- Day/Time: Monday, April 29, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Stars vs Golden Knights Live Stream: NHL.com
Stars vs Golden Knights Odds and Spreads
Stars vs Golden Knights Betting Trends
- Under bettors are 6-1 at the sportsbook in the last seven Dallas games, but just 41-44 on the season.
- The loss on Saturday was the first in seven games for Vegas against the Stars.
- Dallas forwards Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski – 132 points in the regular season – have been kept off the scoresheet in the series.
- The Golden Knights were 7-for-13 on the power play in five games before coming up empty on two tries the last two.
- Vegas center Jack Eichel leads the team with 11 shots on goal and five points in the series.
Johnston Star of Stars for Bettors
Dallas coach Peter DeBoer joked after the game that Wyatt Johnston scored two big goals in Sin City, but would not be able to get into the casinos to play cards.
Johnston is 20, a first-round pick in the 2021 draft, but he was the biggest of Stars under the lights and helped pay off plenty of sport bets for Dallas backers on Saturday.
Wyatt Johnston is the overtime hero as he helped his club cut their series deficit to 2-1.
Johnston became the fourth-youngest player in @DallasStars / North Stars history to record a multi-goal game in the #StanleyCup Playoffs. #NHLStats: https://t.co/3GyAl55rVP pic.twitter.com/OSbjNnrMmu
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 28, 2024
“We’ve taken a lot of pride in the different ages we have on our team. The different times of the careers we have,’ Stars forward Tyler Seguin told reporters. “Seeing (Johnston) last year, and then how much he’s evolved. …It’s one thing being elite in the regular season, but to do it in the playoffs (at 20), that’s great.”
Johnston led the team with 32 goals in the regular season.
Thompson Stands Tall In Vegas
Thompson might have been the lone player to allow under bettors to cash in on Dallas’ 3-2 victory on Saturday. Will he continue that?
The 27-year-old was injured and did not play a game during the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. Thompson played well down the stretch this season with Adin HIll out and earned the start in goal for Game 1.
Thompson has stopped 89 of 96 shots (.927 save percentage) in the three games after finishing with 25 wins and a .908 SP in the regular season.
“We weathered it because of Logan,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters. “He gave us every chance to get back in the game.”
LOGAN THOMPSON ARE YOU FOR REAL? 😱 pic.twitter.com/h8BpGGVTfI
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2024
Home Teams Fail on Moneyline
Every other series in the playoffs has featured at least one victory for the home team, except for this one.
Vegas won 4-3 in Game 1 and 3-1 at Dallas despite the Stars boasting an impressive 26-11-4 record at home in the regular season. Vegas was 27-12-2 at home before Saturday.
The road team was 3-3 in their matchup in the Western Conference finals last season.
Questions of the Day
Will Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger make 30 saves on Monday?
No. Vegas is averaging 25 shots on net in the series and was 14th in the league during the regular season (31.1).
Who is most likely to score for Vegas?
Jonathan Marchessault. The reigning Conn Smythe winner already has two goals and eight shots in the series.
