Kaprizov scores 2 power-play goals
to help the Wild beat Vegas 5-2 for a 2-1 series lead
[April 25, 2025]
By DAVE CAMPBELL
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov missed half of the regular
season with a lingering lower-body injury that kept him out until
just before the NHL playoffs began as the Minnesota Wild barely got
in.
He's fully recovered now. His team clearly is, too.
Kaprizov had had two power-play goals to help the Wild beat the
Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 on Thursday night for a 2-1 lead in the
first-round series.
“He’s such an energy giver," Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson said.
“Just his skill plays, his dangles or anything like that, finding
passes that people don’t see. It’s building from the bench and out
on the ice there, just everyone feels more energy to try going and
going.”
Matt Boldy scored for the third straight game, Marco Rossi had his
first career postseason goal and Marcus Foligno added an
empty-netter for the Wild, who carried the momentum of a 5-2 road
victory in Game 2 into the raucous Xcel Energy Center and kept it up
all night.
Boldy and Kaprizov share the NHL playoffs lead with four goals.
They’ve combined for 13 points, further flashing the prowess of the
Wild's first line. Their top three forwards combined for 17 shots on
goal, including center Joel Eriksson Ek, who Kaprizov raved about
afterward.
“He did so much, especially faceoffs and net front and so many dirty
pucks," Kaprizov said. “He always won battles and played so hard.”
Nobody on the first line for the Golden Knights — Ivan Barbashev,
Jack Eichel and Mark Stone — has yet to even record a point.
Game 4 is in Minnesota on Saturday.
Gustavsson's glove stayed sharp in the net on a 30-save night for
the Wild, who took an early 2-0 lead before Alex Pietrangelo scored
on a long slap shot a little later in the first period for Vegas.
Reilly Smith's short-handed goal with 8:26 remaining was the only
other puck that got past Gustavsson, who was blown away by the crowd
noise in the closing minutes.
“It’s very fun. You can’t hear anything," Gustavsson said.
[to top of second column] |
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Foligno (17) celebrates after
scoring a goal during the third period of Game 3 of a first-round
NHL hockey playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights,
Thursday, April 24, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The fans were roaring from the start, when a
too-many-men penalty on Vegas gave the home team the man advantage
just 2:46 into the game.
Kaprizov cycled behind the net, came up top and — after a slight
fake to his left to make Smith pause for a split-second — wristed a
shot through the defense for the lead. Wild rookie Zeev Buium got
the first assist for his first career postseason point.
With just two seconds left in the second period on another power
play for Minnesota, Ryan Hartman's shot hit Kaprizov in the chest
before knocking it past goalie Adin Hill for a 4-1 lead.
Hill was pulled after two periods with 17 saves, yielding to Akira
Shmid for the third. Hill, who stopped only 12 shots in Game 2,
didn't have the best protection in front of him.
Boldy scored to give the Wild a 3-1 lead midway through the second
period after outworking Noah Hanifin for the puck behind the net,
slicing toward the net and snapping a shot into the top corner past
Hill.
The Golden Knights outhit the Wild 42-26, won 58% of the faceoffs
and largely controlled the pace and possession, but the Pacific
Division champions who finished with the third-best regular season
record in the league were hardly rewarded for their effort.
“You're going into the room as a team and you’re like, ‘We’re down
4-1 after that period? Like, what the hell just happened?’” coach
Bruce Cassidy said. “But that’s hockey some nights. You’ve got to
regroup. You create your own breaks. They did.”
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