Howden scores twice, Golden Knights beat Wild 4-2 in Game 1

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brett Howden scored two goals, and the Vegas Golden Knights opened their first-round Western Conference playoff series with a 4-2 victory Sunday night over the Minnesota Wild.

Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, Pavel Dorofeyev also scored, and Adin Hill made 18 saves.

Matt Boldy scored both Wild goals, Kirill Kaprizov assisted on both, and Filip Gustavsson stopped 23 shots.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Both teams traded goals in the first period. Hertl took the puck from Minnesota’s Brock Faber and hit the net from just inside the front side of the left circle. The Wild answered 2:20 later when Kaprizov delivered a cross-ice pass to Boldy, who scored off the rush.

Minnesota Wild centre Gustav Nyquist (41) and left wing Marcus Foligno (17) check Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) during the first period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

Dorofeyev scored the only goal in the second period when Hertl won the faceoff to open a power play. The puck went to Shea Theodore, who skated toward centre and set up Dorofeyev for a blast from the right circle. Dorofeyev has scored goals in three consecutive games going back to the end of the regular season.

Howden extended the Vegas lead to 3-1 early in the third period, but Boldy’s wraparound goal with 8:14 left brought Minnesota to within one. Howden added an empty-netter with one second remaining.

Wild 19-year-old defenceman Zeev Buium made his NHL debut by playing on the third pair with Zach Bogosian. He played 13:37 with a shot on goal. Buium was playing for Denver just 10 days earlier in the NCAA’s Frozen Four.

Linesman Bryan Pancich left the game 3:37 into the second period after a collision with Howden. Backup official Frederick L’Ecuyer took Pancich’s place.