Minnesota Wild: Kaprizov powers team to sole lead in West
The Wild defeated San Jose 4-1 to extend a seven-game points streak and take first place in the Western Conference.
By Grace Sullivan ·
Kirill Kaprizov scored his 16th goal of the season and assisted on another as the Minnesota Wild defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday night at Grand Casino Arena. The win extended the Wild's points streak to seven games and placed them in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.
The Wild started fast. After drawing a tripping penalty 28 seconds into the power play, Kaprizone scored 28 seconds later. He one-timed a cross-pass from Quinn Hughes past San Jose goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead with 7:55 remaining in the first period.
San Jose struggled early but found its footing in the second period. The Sharks entered the game on a 3-6-1 skid following a 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. A players-only meeting held after that loss appeared to reset the team's focus.
Macklin Celebrini tied the game at 12:17 of the second period. He won a faceoff, moved to the net front, and deflected a shot from Dmitry Orlov over the right shoulder of Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to make the score 1-1.
Less than a minute later, the Wild retook the lead. Jacob Trouba was called for interference after throwing Matt Boldy into the ice near the net. Forty-eight seconds into the ensuing power play, Kaprizov sent a shot through the circles to Maxim Shabanov. Shabanov lunged to poke the puck past Askarov for a 2-1 lead at 14:15.
Quinn Hughes extended the advantage in the third period. At 6:55, Hughes skated free above the left circle and buried a wrist shot into the far top corner. Zach Bogosian added the final goal after collecting a rebound on the right boards and snapping it toward the net. The puck hit the high far post before clanking in to make it 4-1.
Wallstedt finished with 28 saves. He stopped a goal with his left skate on a rush midway through the third period, prompting the home crowd to chant his name. The Wild will play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at 7 p.m.
