Monday night’s Jets vs. Golden Knights matchup is being framed through two betting props that point in opposite directions for Winnipeg: Dylan Samberg on blocked shots and Kyle Connor on shot volume. The case for Samberg is built on volume against him, while Connor’s recent rate of shots on target has been hard to ignore.
Samberg has blocked at least two shots in 15 of his past 19 games and has averaged 2.2 blocked shots over that stretch. He has also cleared his line in eight of nine matchups with playoff-bound teams during that run, and he has blocked three or more shots in three straight games against Vegas. Todd Cordell’s Jets vs. Golden Knights predictions expect Samberg to get in the way of at least a couple of Vegas shot attempts.
That angle matters because the Golden Knights have been pushing play since hiring John Tortorella, ranking third in shot attempt rate behind only Colorado and Carolina. Winnipeg may need Samberg in the middle of that traffic more than usual, because he plays more than anybody on the Jets at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. Cordell said that with their season on the line, the Jets will funnel as many pucks in Samberg’s direction as they can.
Connor is the other side of the board. He has generated 69 shot attempts over his past 10 games and has recorded at least two shots on target in each of those games, even as he has gone back-to-back games without a point. For bettors looking at a player-prop market, that kind of shot volume is usually the more stable signal, especially in a matchup where Winnipeg needs offense and Vegas has been driving attempts at a high rate.
The clean read is that Samberg’s block prop matches the shape of this game better than most numbers on the board. Vegas should keep the puck moving toward Winnipeg’s end, and Samberg’s workload gives him a strong chance to be involved. Connor, meanwhile, has been producing enough shot volume to make his attempts and shots-on-target market live again, even without a point in his last two games.
