Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
This season, the Vegas Golden Knights have already won two of the four scheduled meetings with the Anaheim Ducks, but in the previous regular season, the Ducks claimed three consecutive victories. Will the hosts be able to turn the tide in their favour?
Anaheim Ducks
The Californians had two extra rest days and don't have to fly immediately after a match the day before. This well-timed break is ideal, but these advantages could be offset by a weaker line-up. The Ducks have demonstrated how to tame some of the league's most dangerous scorers, with Adin Hill showing remarkable resilience. They also have their own standout goaltender in Lukas Dostal. The Czech has a save percentage of 90.3% in their recent shootout win against Ottawa Senators(4:3), but he's been even more reliable over 15 games this season, with a 92.1% save percentage, placing him in the NHL's top five.
Vegas Golden Knights
Unlike Lukas Dostal, Adin Hill is unlikely to play. He needs rest after an intense match against the Edmonton Oilers (1:0), where he stopped all shots from Connor McDavid (4) and others (28), securing his second shutout in 17 games. The Knights' top goaltender shouldn't be playing on back-to-back nights, meaning Ilya Samsonov will be between the pipes, which may be less secure. His previous outing against the Utah Hockey Club (0:6) showed this. Against the Oilers, the Vegas Golden Knights were not prolific shooters (16), explaining the solitary goal.
Anaheim Ducks vs Vegas Golden Knights Prediction
The visitors have scored just one goal in the past 120 minutes, which is sparse. Dostal is also capable of handling the pressure. The Anaheim Ducks continue to be one of the league's lowest-scoring teams (2.57 goals per game, 26th place), leading me to expect a low-scoring match. Both earlier games this season ended similarly: with the Vegas Golden Knights wins (3:1 and 3:2). Notably, Samsonov played in the first.
