Kirill Kaprizov, even with stitches and missing tooth, is his dominant self on road
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Kirill Kaprizov finally looks like a hockey player.
In Mats Zuccarello 's mind, his linemate and best pal is bar none the NHL 's best player, but the superstar's unscathed face finally has a missing tooth and zippers that have fastened a nasty cut that goes from his top lip to his nose.
Thursday night at SAP Center, Kaprizov, resembling the toothless Jake Middleton , may not have looked like his usual self but sure played like it by ending a modest two-game point drought and getting back to his multipoint ways during a one-sided 5-2 win over teenage star Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks .
"I feel bad (for Kaprizov). Oh, God," Marc-Andre Fleury said of Kaprizov's face. "I appreciate my mask, (not) taking the puck in the teeth."
Not only did Kaprizov assist on three of the Wild 's goals for his eighth career three-assist game, including Matt Boldy 's power-play winner, he also put another no-look beauty right onto the tape of a sliding Zuccarello for the go-ahead goal in the second period.
It was Kaprizov's fourth three-point game in his past seven. He also extended his road point streak to seven games. Kaprizov is second in the NHL with 24 points, with 17 of them coming in the past seven road games. He leads the NHL with 17 even-strength points and 1.85 points per game.
"Last two games, I feel like at home I play not a little bit my game and I just try and play in this game like I usually do and have more energy and just try to make some plays and play a little bit simple sometimes, too," Kaprizov said.
In a game the Wild had firm control of everywhere but the scoreboard, Kaprizov admitted he was ticked off that Celebrini scored the first of his two goals — a tying goal — against his line at the 4:36 mark of the second period. The Wild had a good response shift, then coach John Hynes threw the Wild's top line back on the ice for one of the most relentless Kaprizov shifts in recent memory.
He was everywhere, skating all throughout the zone, winning battles, winning puck races and almost singlehandedly dizzying a Sharks defense that couldn't keep up. Finally, after Jared Spurgeon fired a puck on net, Kaprizov sprinted to that loose puck and, without looking, crossed a pass perfectly for Zuccarello to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead.
"I knew he was passing it," Zuccarello said. "He knows. There's no calling for it or anything like that. I don't think he would want me to act surprised. We see this every game. We've seen this for four or five years now. Nothing surprises me there. Like I've said a hundred times before, for me, he's the best player (in the NHL)."
Zuccarello, naturally, had to still throw shade onto his buddy. In the third period, Zuccarello made a terrific pass to send Kaprizov in on a partial breakaway. He got a little too fancy and didn't score. Marco Rossi then hit the post.
"He should have scored a goal and stop doing that s— between his legs all the time," Zuccarello said, before deadpanning, "but other that, I think he was good."
Fleury, who tied his idol, Patrick Roy, for the third on the all-time goalie games played list with 1,029, made 24 saves to improve to 3-0-1. Fleury, who has played with stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin , can't get over the chemistry Kaprizov and Zuccarello routinely flash.
"It's pretty amazing and fun to watch, obviously," Fleury said. "They just find each other so much. They don't look, right? Like how did he see? How did he know he was there? Like even there on the ice, I see the play develop, but I still get surprised sometimes how much they can find each other on a seam pass and then pass backdoor and stuff like that. But they're a big reason we're having success."
The Wild improved to 9-2-2 on the season and 6-1-1 on the road. It was a quality rebound from Tuesday's home loss to the Kings . The Wild worked hard and defended well. They went 3 for 3 on the penalty kill after giving up a goal six times on the previous 11 kills. And they snapped an 0-for-16 power-play drought with Boldy's goal.
"I think both groups needed that," Hynes said. "We needed to get a power-play goal, I think, to take the pressure off and things like that. I give them credit. We worked through it and tried to find solutions tonight. We found a way to do it, and it was nice for the penalty kill, as well, to be able to get two kills tonight and get the job done, and that was the difference in the game, as well."
Boldy would later add an empty-netter for his team-leading eighth goal. Boldy has the winning goal in Minnesota's past three victories, in fact.
But it wasn't a surprise that Kaprizov was the one to lead the way once again. It's not easy to play on the road, unless you're Kaprizov, of course.
"He's playing with a lot of drive, whether it's home or on the road," Hynes said. "But I think sometimes on the road it's harder at times because the other coach has the last matchup. So, the fact he's able to play as well as he's playing on the road is a big component I think to his success early this season."
Before the game, the Wild recalled 22-year-old Mikey Milne for the first time in his career. But his NHL debut is on hold as Hynes decided to see how the team — and certain players — responded to Tuesday's loss.
One player was clearly Yakov Trenin , who has no goals, one assist, 11 shots and 36 hits in 13 games. Trenin, demoted to the fourth line in the first game of the Wild's just-completed three-game homestand, remained there Thursday but was called into a meeting with Hynes before the pregame skate.
Hynes has been happy with his play on the penalty kill and Trenin has been one of the Wild's better defensive forwards, but Hynes said he wants to help him "get to his identity" that gives him a better chance to be more effective in the offensive zone.
Hynes isn't focusing on offensive production with Trenin, especially in a fourth-line, non-power-play role, but he does want him to be stronger on pucks and be more physically engaged on the forecheck.
"There's another level," Hynes said. "To me, it's just helping him and him understand again what gives him the best chance to be a real effective player because he brings things to a team that are vitally important, and he knows that. ... That production will come when he's really playing to his identity and physically engaged in the game."
Hynes is a big reason the Wild signed Trenin, whom he coached in Nashville.
"I think there's times in the offensive zone where he can be a real beast," Hynes said. "Like he can get over pucks. He can reverse-shoulder a D. He can move his feet and maintain possession. That's a part of his physicality. There's been a few times where he's been there and he's gone stick on puck where he's within a stick length where he can kind of finish a play through a player.
"Those are the things we've talked and showed him."
He had a couple of hits Thursday and played 3:18 of the Wild's perfect penalty kill, so one may assume he'll get another shot in Anaheim.
As a team, the Wild continue to largely be impressive during the early part of their schedule, especially outside of Minnesota.
"We knew we were going to have a heavy road schedule early," Hynes said. "I think if you want to be a competitive team, you can't just be a good home team. You gotta, I think, have that warrior road mentality. I think the team embraces that of just coming into another team's building. Everyone's gotta be pulling the rope in the right direction, and I think we've been able to do that so far."
(Top photo: Stan Szeto / Imagn Images)
