Dec 10, 2024; Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) celebrates a objective with teammates through the second interval towards the Utah Hockey Membership at Delta Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Rob Grey-Imagn Photographs Generally, Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes needs that his star participant, Kirill Kaprizov, would get off the ice sooner after observe is completed.
However Kaprizov lingers, typically for a half-hour or extra, taking extra pictures from each angle. Hynes worries that Kaprizov will put on himself out however he additionally is aware of that the additional work pays off in video games, when Kaprizov scores on the identical pictures that he practices a lot.
Kaprizov and the Wild will look to remain sizzling after they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Minnesota is on the lookout for its second win in as many days after it pulled away for a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Kaprizov scored twice within the recreation, giving him a team-high 20 targets on the season.
“The extent of consistency that he is enjoying with at a excessive degree evening in and evening out has been actually spectacular,” Hynes mentioned. “He is a man that could be a chief of our group on the ice, off the ice. To have him enjoying on the degree he is enjoying at, it helps drive the group.”
Vegas additionally will play on quick relaxation after shedding 6-3 on the highway towards the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. The Golden Knights gained the earlier 4 video games, together with a 3-2 time beyond regulation win towards the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
Vegas ahead Ivan Barbashev mentioned he and his teammates have been completely happy that they’d a fast turnaround to face the Wild. That approach, as an alternative of dwelling on a lopsided loss, they might channel their frustration into the subsequent recreation on quick discover.
“It is like a bit of wake-up name,” Barbashev mentioned. “We have simply received to get again to our regular recreation. Regroup on the flight to Minny and attempt to go on the market and play higher.
“(Minnesota is) a very good group. This journey is fairly powerful — enjoying towards Winnipeg, Edmonton and Minny (on Sunday). We have simply received to show the web page and be higher.”
The Golden Knights might flip to Ilya Samsonov in internet one evening after Adin Hill gave up six targets on 34 pictures towards Edmonton. Samsonov is 6-3-1 with a 3.16 goals-against common and an .896 save proportion this season.
In two profession video games towards the Wild, Samsonov is 2-0-0 with a 2.48 GAA and a .912 save proportion.
Minnesota’s goaltending image is much less clear after the group recalled Jesper Wallstedt on an emergency foundation from the group’s American Hockey League affiliate in Iowa after the sport. Wallstedt’s promotion implies that both Filip Gustavsson or Marc-Andre Fleury is coping with one thing that would trigger him to be inactive Sunday.
The 22-year-old Wallstedt appeared in three video games with the Wild final season. He went 2-1-0 with a 3.01 GAA and an .897 save proportion.
If Wallstedt will get the beginning, it can mark his first assembly towards the Golden Knights.
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned his group would want to battle exhausting towards the Wild.
“They seem to be a good defensive group, so in case you might be robust on pucks down low, get to the inside ice — you are going to have to do this,” Cassidy mentioned. “And we’d run into one other sizzling goalie. We did in Winnipeg the opposite evening and at last broke via ultimately. …
“If we will do this (Sunday) and convey the identical offensive vitality, we needs to be OK.”
–Area Degree Media
