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Marc-Andre Fleury wills Golden Knights past Wild in Game 2

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Marc-Andre Fleury was sensational again, stopping 34 shots, and this time Vegas found some offense as second-period goals from Jonathan Marchessault and Alex Tuch paced the Knights to a 3-1 win in Game 2.

The Wild made life difficult for the Golden Knights -- especially early on -- in Game 2.

Ultimately, Marc-Andre Fleury was brilliant once again, and this time he was rewarded with a win. The Golden Knights squeaked out a narrow Game 2 win over the Wild, tying their First Round series 1-1. Vegas ended up winning 3-1, with that insurance goal coming late enough that it felt a lot like a one-goal game.

Marc-Andre Fleury brilliant in Golden Knights - Wild Game 2

Thanks to some brilliant saves, Marc-Andre Fleury enjoyed a more flamboyant Game 1 performance than Cam Talbot. But Talbot was the one who nabbed that overtime win.

You might call Game 2 of Golden Knights - Wild a bit of a role reversal. The Wild dominated in the first period of Game 2, in particular, generating a 17-10 shots on goal advantage over the Golden Knights. Even the shots on goal don’t totally tell the story.

Simply put, Fleury was brilliant once again.

During the second period, Matt Dumba finally broke through to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.

If that lead lasted, the already-frustrated Golden Knights might have started to feel truly desperate against the Wild in Game 2. Instead, that goal may have finally scared Vegas out of its stupor.

Eighteen seconds after that Dumba goal, Jonathan Marchessault beat Cam Talbot on a great shot. It ended Talbot’s shutout streak at 95:45.

Less than five minutes later, Alex Tuch gave the Golden Knights their first lead of this First Rounds series vs. the Wild. Late in the third, Tuch scored another goal to ice the game.

Kaprizov contained

Generally speaking, the Wild have shown what the regular-season series suggested: they give the Golden Knights headaches, including in Game 2.

But maybe that tight-checking style has its disadvantages -- at least for the near-certain Calder Trophy winner. For the second consecutive contest, Kirill Kaprizov failed to score a point. It’s certainly nothing to panic about, but it’s fair to wonder if Minnesota should make some adjustments.

To add insult to injury, Kaprizov took a penalty with about 90 seconds left, hurting the Wild’s chances of a comeback.

Then again, maybe it’s worth it? Both in Game 1 and Game 2, the Wild made things difficult for the Golden Knights. This could be a long series, especially if Max Pacioretty can’t eventually play, or is far from 100 percent.

Either way, Marc-Andre Fleury’s been tremendous for a team he seemed like he would no longer even be playing for any longer in 2020-21. Hockey: it’s about as unpredictable as its goalies.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. WILD (Series tied 1-1) - series livestream link

Game 1: Wild 1, Golden Knights 0 (OT)
Tuesday, May 18: Golden Knights 3, Wild 1
Thursday, May 20: Golden Knights at Wild, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Saturday, May 22: Golden Knights at Wild, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, May 24: Wild at Golden Knights TBD
*Wednesday, May 26: Golden Knights at Wild TBD
*Friday, May 28: Golden Knights TBD

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.