WC Game Five: Vegas Golden Knights vs Dallas Stars Betting Preview
Dallas Wins Two at The Fortress to Even Series at Two; Knights on Their HeelsÂ
With the Vegas Golden Knights (2-2) in a position to put the Dallas Stars (2-2) in a stranglehold, the Stars revered the move to hand the Knights an RKO out of nowhere, leaving both teams on the mat heading back to Dallas.
Vegas is no stranger to winning in the Lone Star State but the confidence they left with after game two is shattered. Oddsmakers have opened Dallas as a -155 favorite with a total of 5.5 (over -125).
The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 pm. PT and can be seen on SCRIPPS, ESPN, and Bally Sports West. Let’s get to our Knights vs Stars game five betting preview.
Knights vs Stars 
Day/Time:
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Streaming: SCRIPPS, ESPN, Bally Sports West
It’s Time for The Knights Stars to Step Up
We couldn’t resist the headline that didn’t flow as well as first hoped but either people will think it’s clever or make their head hurt!
Either way, the sentiment is the same, the big names for the Vegas Golden Knights need to step up and rescue the team from their two-game dumpster fire.
NHL stats show that trade deadline acquisition Tomas Hertl (1 goal, 0 assist, -4) is a second-line center getting 19 minutes a night but managed just two shots on goal in each of the first four games. Since coming to Vegas, Hertl has three goals and two assists (5 points) in ten games.
Defensemen Noah Hanifin (1 goal, 2 assists), who is sticking around the bright lights for the next eight years, posted a -2 last night, but it would be fair to say his effort on the ice is second to none. The 27-year-old has been terrific in a Knights sweater but is a -4 against the Stars.
That’s where the new guys are at, but its the normally reliable forwards that have been non-existent starting with Chandler Stephenson (1 assist) who gets second-line minutes but didn’t register a shot on net in game four and just four in the entire series.
Mark Stone has just one goal and that was in game one, his only point in the series. For the Knights to move on they can’t be a one-line team with Jack Eichel (3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points) and Jonathan Marchessault (2 goals, 2 assists) chipping in 10 points in four games to lead the charge.
Depth Comes From Unlikely Source
We write in almost every playoff game write-up about scoring depth and the teams with the most will hoist the Stanley Cup. Dallas dug deep into their line-up to find a gold star in fourth liner Ty Dellandrea (2 goals, 9 assists, 42 games) who scored the game-winner for the Stars in game four.
In addition to depth, a team needs a commitment from all their NHL players to be the best at whatever role is asked, and in the case of Dellandrea that was to be a healthy scratch for a healthy part of the season after playing on all 82 games last year.
His attention to detail on defense dropped from last season but he was always ready for Pete DeBoer when the call came.
Heading into game five, Vegas isn’t the only hockey team with elite players who can play better in the series. 30-goal scorer Roope Hintz has just one goal in the series and that was an empty netter to seal the game-four win.
It’s been nine games since Hintz has scored on a goaltender and ten since the 27-year-old Fin scored five on five. In addition to Hintz, first-line teammate Joe Pavelski (27 goals, 40 assists, 67 points) is scoreless in the postseason.
That continues a streak run of 19 hockey games where his production has been less than expected down the stretch with three goals and seven assists. 10 points in 19 games is not meeting the standard that Pavelski set earlier with 57 points in his previous 63 games.
It’s safe to say that both teams have areas they can do better in, the question is who will meet to 10 count in game five.
Look to The Stars for Your Winner
The Vegas Golden Knights won’t go away quietly but until the Knights can shake out of their offensive slump it is tough to put our money down and cross our fingers that tonight is the night.
Vegas has scored even times in the last three games and 15 in their last six games. When we think about their recent body of work it’s difficult to prove the Knights are truly out of a funk that has them in a 5-6 slump in their last 11 games.
As always when Vegas is involved, this will be one of the most watched games on the NHL schedule today, but with our money on the line our NHL betting pick has to be over 5.5 (-125).
That does it for our Knights vs Stars betting preview, all the best with your NHL picks and parlays.
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