In Vegas, they like to remind you that the house always wins. But sometimes, everything seems to fall in the favor of those with the fortitude to play the odds in a big way.

The Minnesota Wild took a notable gamble in trading for star defenseman Quinn Hughes earlier in the month, and that bet has hit big so far. On Monday night in Sin City, Minnesota improved to 6-1-1 with Hughes on the roster, blasting past the Golden Knights 5-2 as their seven-game road trip rolled along.

Marcus Johansson tied a career high for points in a game with a goal and three assists as seemingly everyone in a white sweater got in on the offensive parade. In the other end of T-Mobile Arena, Filip Gustavsson had 14 saves, improving to 6-0-1 in his last seven starts.

Like hitting blackjack on your first hand, the Wild needed just 26 seconds to take the lead, when Johansson blasted a shot past Vegas goalie Carter Hart on the glove side.

Already missing five regulars due to injury, the Golden Knights lineup got a little thinner early in the game when center Tomas Hertl ran Wild center Ryan Hartman into the boards. While Hartman went to the locker room to have a cut on his face tended to, Hertl was assessed a five-minute major penalty and ejected. The Wild got two quality scoring chances but did not score on the extended power play.

Hartman returned later in the game.

Matt Boldy #12 of the Minnesota Wild scores a goal against Carter Hart #79 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on December 29, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Minnesota finally doubled the lead late in the first when Johansson poked a puck out of the defensive zone to start a 2-on-1 rush. Joel Eriksson Ek passed cross-ice, through the legs of a Vegas defender, to Matt Boldy who chipped the puck home for a 2-0 lead. It was Boldy’s team-leading 25th goal.

Then the second period began, and things went seriously sideways for the Knights, quickly. Jared Spurgeon made it 3-0 just 26 seconds into the middle frame. Vegas challenged the play, unsuccessfully, giving the Wild a power play.

They did not score then, but added two more goals before seven minutes had elapsed in the second. Hart was mercifully yanked after allowing five goals on a dozen shots.

Vegas ruined Gustavsson’s bid for a shutout by pouncing on a few sloppy defensive moments late in the second and early in the third. Akira Schmid, who came on in relief of Hart, had 15 saves for the Golden Knights, who have now lost six of their last seven, but still lead the Pacific Division.

The Wild close out 2025 with their lone visit to San Jose this season, looking to salvage a game in their season series with the Sharks. San Jose won a pair of overtime games in St. Paul early in the season. The Wednesday afternoon game at the Sharks’ rink faces off at 3 p.m. CT.

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