Kaprizov's 16th Goal Lifts Wild to 4-1 Win
The Minnesota Wild move into sole possession of first place in the Western Conference after beating San Jose, while the Sharks drop to their sixth loss in seven games.
By Nadia Rahman ·
Kirill Kaprizov scored his 16th goal of the season on Friday night. It is the most in the National Hockey League. The Minnesota Wild used that strike to defeat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
The victory extends the Wild's points streak to seven games. They are 6-0-1 in that span. The win also gives the team sole possession of the top spot in the Western Conference.
Kaprizov drew a tripping penalty 28 seconds into a man advantage. He scored 28 seconds later, one-timing a cross-pass from Quinn Hughes past goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. The goal gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead with 7:55 remaining in the first period.
San Jose came into the game struggling. The Sharks had a 3-6-1 record over their last ten games. They lost 7-2 to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. The team held a players-only meeting at Crypto.com Arena to discuss their performance.
The Sharks found their rhythm despite falling behind early. 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 Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.
Jacob Trouba committed interference on Matt Boldy less than a minute after Celebrini's goal. He created traffic in front of Wallstedt. The penalty led to a goal for the Wild at 14:15. Maxim Shabanov lunged to poke a pass from Kaprizov past Askarov, making the score 2-1.
The Wild maintained pressure in the third period. Quinn Hughes scored at 6:55 to extend the lead. He skated free from a defender in the high slot and fired a wrist shot from above the left circle. The puck found the far top corner for a 3-1 margin.
Zach Bogosian added the final goal for Minnesota. He corralled a rebound on the right boards and shot on net. The puck hit the high far post and clanked in to make the final score 4-1.
Wallstedt finished with 28 saves. He stopped a shot with his left skate during a San Jose rush in the third period. The crowd responded with chants of his name. The Wild will face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday for the second game of a back-to-back set.
Puck drop for the game against Tampa Bay is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Grand Casino Arena.
