Mats Zuccarello Goals Scored Props • Minnesota

Xcel Energy Center
Minnesota has loaded up its No. 1 line, and Zuccarello didn’t make the cut. He’s been on the ice for just 1.28 expected goals through the first two games and sports a discouraging 40.5 Corsi For percentage and 37.0 expected goals percentage at five-on-five. When Zuccarello didn’t jump the boards with one of Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov or Matt Boldy during the regular season he was on the ice for just 1.47 goals and 1.99 goals per 60 minutes across 286:04 of total ice time at five-on-five. While the veteran winger is still skating on the No. 1 power-play unit, Vegas spent a league-low 3:23 per game shorthanded during the regular season, and the Golden Knights have only been shorthanded twice through the first two games of the series.
Vegas’ top line has not been anywhere close to its best through two games. Even so, they have had opportunities to produce – especially Mark Stone. While the Minnesota Wild were one of the more disciplined teams during the regular season, they still took well over two minors per game. It certainly seems a stretch to expect them to continue avoiding penalties to the extent they have thus far. When that happens, the floodgates could open for Stone and the Golden Knights. He is a big weapon on the man advantage – and, statistically speaking, more extra-man opportunities will be coming. The Wild can’t entirely avoid penalties forever. Until a couple of weeks ago his longest point drought of the entire season was three games. He’s currently sitting on a streak of five straight zeros. Expect him to break that in Game 3.