Previewing Golden Knights-Stars Game 2: Key stats for Sunday’s showdown
The NHL’s Western Conference finals got off to a thrilling start in Game 1 on Friday night, with the Vegas Golden Knights winning 4-3 in overtime over the Dallas Stars.
Game 2 on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+) promises to bring the excitement again. Can the Stars even things up before the series shifts to their home ice? Or will the Knights arrive in Texas with a 2-0 lead?
To help get you ready for the game, we’ve put together a guide on what to watch from each team, including in-depth statistical insights from ESPN Stats & Information.
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Line: VGK -125 | O/U: 5.5
Notes from ESPN Stats & Information
Golden Knights
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The Golden Knights have trailed in each of the past seven games they have played dating to Game 1 of their series against the Edmonton Oilers. But they have won five of those seven games.
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In fact, seven of their nine wins this postseason have been comeback victories — equaling their most for one playoff year in franchise history (also seven, in 2021). Only five teams have recorded more in a playoff season over the past two decades: Colorado Avalanche (10 in 2022), Pittsburgh Penguins (10 in 2009), Dallas Stars (nine in 2020), Carolina Hurricanes (nine in 2006) and Los Angeles Kings (eight in 2014).
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The Golden Knights have outscored their opponents 20-5 in the second period this postseason. That is the third-highest goal differential in the second period by any team through 12 playoff games, trailing only the Cup-winning 1981 New York Islanders (+17) and 1979 New York Rangers (+16), who got to the Cup Final but couldn’t stop the Montreal Canadiens from a four-peat.
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Thirty-five of the 45 goals scored by the Golden Knights this postseason have come at 5-on-5, which leads the league. Vegas was one of six NHL teams to score 70% or greater of its goals at 5-on-5 during the regular season (187/267), along with the Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Canadiens and Islanders.
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Vegas was the most disciplined NHL team during the regular season, committing just 2.92 penalties per 60 minutes, but it entered Game 1 as the least disciplined NHL team during the playoffs, committing 5.62 penalties per 60 minutes this postseason.
Stars
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The Stars joined the 2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as the only teams in Stanley Cup playoff history to require overtime three times in series openers in one postseason. The Mighty Ducks managed to leave the arena victorious in each of those three games, while this Stars team has been on the losing end in each of its games. Anaheim reached Game 7 of the Cup Final in 2003 before falling to the New Jersey Devils.
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Only three clubs have reached the Stanley Cup Final after losing Game 1 of a best-of-seven series three times in a single playoff year. However, each of those three teams ultimately took their lap around the rink hoisting the Stanley Cup (1991 Penguins, 2011 Boston Bruins, 2018 Washington Capitals). The Stars have a 2-0 series record this postseason after losing Game 1. They had a record of 6-20 (.231) in best-of-seven playoff series after losing Game 1 prior to 2023.
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Roope Hintz factored on all three of Dallas’ goals in Game 1 (one goal and two assists) to boost his playoff totals to 10 goals and 12 assists, the first Stars skater to reach double digits in both goals and assists during one postseason since both Mike Modano (10 goals and 13 assists) and Brett Hull (11 goals and 13 assists) in 2000.
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Hintz surpassed Connor McDavid (20 points) to take over sole possession of the playoff lead in points with 22, which is tied with Steve Payne in 1981 for the most by a Stars/North Stars skater through 14 playoff games. He can become the third skater in franchise history to lead (outright/tied) the Stanley Cup playoffs in points after Hull (24 in 2000) and Bill Goldsworthy (15 in 1968) accomplished that feat.
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A bright spot for the Stars in Game 1 was seeing Jason Robertson — who was the first Stars skater since the franchise moved to Dallas ahead of the 1993-94 season to register 100 points during the regular season — score his first goal at 5-on-5 in the Stanley Cup playoffs (each of his prior two goals this postseason were on the power play).
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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