Kaprizov leads Wild past Sharks, extending points streak to seven
Minnesota takes sole first place in the Western Conference with a 4-1 win over San Jose at Grand Casino Arena.
By Samantha Reed ·
Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 16th goal and assisted on another, helping the Minnesota Wild beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday at Grand Casino Arena. The victory extended Minnesota's points streak to seven games, a mark that includes six wins and one overtime loss.
The result places the Wild in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference. San Jose suffered its sixth loss in seven games, a slump that had previously included a 7-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. The Sharks held a players-only meeting after that loss to address their performance.
Kaprizov opened the scoring at 7:55 of the first period. He drew a tripping penalty 28 seconds earlier on a 5-on-3 power play and one-timed a cross-pass from Quinn Hughes past goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. San Jose remained flat-footed early but found its rhythm in subsequent periods.
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. Jacob Trouba was called for interference against Matt Boldy less than a minute later, setting up the next Minnesota goal.
Maxim Shabanov scored 48 seconds after the interference call to restore the lead at 14:15. He lunged to poke a shot through the circles past Askarov. The Wild maintained pressure in the third period, and Hughes scored at 6:55 with a wrist shot from above the left circle. He was defended by Celebrini in the high slot before skating free to find the far top corner.
Wallstedt finished with 28 saves. He stopped a goal with his left skate during a San Jose rush in the third period, prompting the home crowd to chant his name. Zach Bogosian added the final goal after corralling a rebound on the right boards. His shot hit the high far post and clanked into the net to make the score 4-1.
The Wild host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday for the second game of a back-to-back set. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Grand Casino Arena.
