The Minnesota Wild and the Vegas Golden Knights meet in Game 5 of a best-of-7, first-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Tuesday.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

The ending was abrupt, like the cable going out during a movie’s pivotal scene. The lump-in-your-throat nervousness that filled Xcel Energy Center for three-plus hours Saturday afternoon gave way to stunned silence.