Kaprizov powers Wild past Sharks in 4-1 win
The Wild lead the Western Conference with 27 points after Quinn Hughes and Maxim Shabanov also found the net against San Jose.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Kirill Kaprizov recorded his 16th goal of the season and three assists as the Minnesota Wild defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday night in St. Paul. The victory extended the Wild’s recent winning streak and solidified their position at the top of the Western Conference standings.
The game began with a power play advantage for Minnesota. With 7:56 left in the first period, Kaprizov scored from the right faceoff circle while the Wild held a 5-on-3 man advantage. The Sharks responded midway through the second period when captain Macklin Celebrini deflected a shot by Dmitry Orlov past goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. That was Celebrini’s seventh goal of the season.
Maxim Shabanov broke the 1-1 tie with 5:45 remaining in the second period. He redirected a cross-ice pass from Kaprizov into the far post during a power play. Quinn Hughes increased the lead to 3-1 in the third period, firing a wrist shot over Askarov’s shoulder at the 6:55 mark. Zach Bogosian scored his first goal of the season late in the game to cap the scoring for Minnesota.
Jesper Wallstedt stopped 23 shots for his 11th win in 16 starts, leading all NHL goaltenders in victories. The Wild are now 6-0-1 in their last seven games and hold 27 points, the most in the Western Conference. San Jose, which is 1-6-0 in its last seven contests, saw Yaroslav Askarov record 25 saves.
The Wild will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. The Sharks travel to Dallas for a game against the Stars on Saturday night.
