Kirill Kaprizov notched a goal and three assists, becoming the first player in Minnesota Wild history to reach 100 points in a season. The Wild set several franchise records, including their 50th win and 107 points, in a 6-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.
Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice and added an assist, while Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, and Nicolas Deslauriers also found the back of the net. Kevin Fiala set a team record with five assists as Minnesota extended its winning streak to four games.
“There were a lot of milestones tonight, but our group is focused on the bigger picture,” said Wild coach Dean Evason. “Kirill and Kevin were more excited when D-Lo scored than anything else, which shows how close this team is.”
Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 saves, bouncing back after an early misstep to improve to 7-1-0 since being traded to Minnesota at the deadline.
Daniel Sprong and Yanni Gourde scored early for Seattle, which saw its season-high three-game winning streak snapped. Philipp Grubauer stopped 29 shots, and rookie Matty Beniers scored for the Kraken, becoming the first to start his NHL career with points in five consecutive games since Ty Smith of New Jersey in January 2021.
Kaprizov, who matched his career high with four points, now has 45 goals and 56 assists this season. The Wild, who are 16-1-3 in their last 20 games, have been on a scoring tear, netting at least three goals in 18 of those contests.
“It’s a big accomplishment for me, but our focus is on the playoffs. We need to keep improving with each game,” Kaprizov said through an interpreter.
The Wild, who are 12-0-1 in their last 13 home games, tied a franchise record for consecutive home points. They currently hold a two-point lead over St. Louis for second place in the Central Division, with both teams locked into a first-round playoff matchup.
After trailing 2-1 at the end of the first period, Fiala drew in three defenders before setting up Eriksson Ek for his second goal early in the second period. Minnesota then exploded for four goals in a 7:37 span.
Kaprizov tipped in Fiala’s shot, Hartman scored short side, and Zuccarello scored with assists from Fiala and Kaprizov. Deslauriers capped off the scoring with a rebound goal. The Wild tied a season-high with three power-play goals, including goals by Kaprizov, Zuccarello, and Eriksson Ek.
“The second period showed the difference between a team fighting for playoff positioning and us playing 20 minutes of shinny hockey,” said Seattle coach Dave Hakstol, who was particularly frustrated with the turnovers.
“A lot of their offense came from our mistakes,” said Beniers.
Fiala, on a four-game multi-point streak, now has nine goals and 12 assists over a nine-game span.
“If you think about the points, they won’t come,” Fiala said. “I just try to have fun, play instinctively, and let everything else fall into place.”
Matt Boldy extended his point streak to a franchise rookie-record eight games with an assist. He has points in his last 10 games, though he missed four due to injury.
Game Notes
Zuccarello (lower body) did not play in the third period and will sit out Sunday as a precaution. Minnesota’s Tyson Jost (lower body) returned after missing three games. Seattle signed defenseman Ryker Evans to a three-year entry-level contract. Evans was the team’s second-round pick in the 2021 Draft and had a career-high 61 points in the Western Hockey League this season.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: At Dallas on Saturday.
- Wild: At Nashville on Sunday.
