The set-up: It's been a remarkable season for the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and the team's gritty 3-1 victory Monday in Game 2 at Winnipeg, was emblematic of the way this team has performed all season. Winnipeg pretty much dominated in its 4-2 Game 1 victory but Vegas survived an early onslaught against goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to build a 2-0 lead and when the Jets closed to within 2-1, the Golden Knights quickly got back their two-goal advantage with their third goal of the game less than two minutes later. Vegas made life uncomfortable for the Jets in the neutral zone all game and Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault, who labeled Game 2 a "must win," backed it up with two goals to lead a spirited effort. Now it's the Jets who need to respond, as the series shifts to Las Vegas for the next two games.

Winnipeg: Nobody in the Jets locker room is panicking after losing one home contest and as defenseman Jacob Trouba offered to reporters after Monday's game: "We like our road game. We like where it was in the Nashville series, and we're going to try and bring the same effort." Hard to argue with him. The Jets won three of four at Nashville in the previous series and have lost in regulation just once in six road games during the postseason. Winnipeg did not play poorly in Game 2 but were nowhere near as sharp as they were in the series opener. The Jets were victimized several times by turnovers and sloppy puck handling. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves, but gave up Marchessault's second goal 88 seconds after forward Kyle Connor's power-play marker pulled the Jets within one in the third period. Connor's linemates - forward Blake Wheeler and center Mark Scheifele - have combined for 15 goals and 36 points in the postseason but were held off the scoresheet in Game 2.

Vegas: "Every time we need a big game out of our group, we show up," Marchessault told the media after the game. "I think we showed the hockey world that we earned the right to be here, and we are able to play against a great team." Marchessault leads Vegas in playoff goals (six) and points (15), and he finished plus-2 Monday while sparking his line of center William Karlsson and forward Reilly Smith to a combined plus-6 finish. Fleury, who gave up three goals in the opening 7:35 of Game 1, fended off several good scoring chances in the opening minutes Monday en route to a 30-save performance. Vegas was much better in several areas in Game 2, blocking 21 shots and winning 51 percent of faceoff attempts.
The pick: I'll acknowledge the Jets' excellent road play this postseason but this Vegas team has been terrific at home all season (regular and post), sporting a 33-10-3 record, while averaging a hefty 3.57 GPG and allowing a modest 2.39 GPG. I won't buck them here in what figures to be a frenzied atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena. Make Vegas a 9* play.