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Wild star Kirill Kaprizov was ‘well rested’ and ‘very motivated’ after ejection

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·2 min read
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Leave it to star winger Kirill Kaprizov to bust the Wild out of their scoring slump.

After avoiding suspension, getting a $5,000 fine instead for roughing Kings defenseman Drew Doughty on Tuesday, Kaprizov scored a pair of goals Wednesday night as the Wild earned a 4-1 win over the Ducks. His first goal helped the Wild snap a goal drought that spanned nearly 160 minutes of regulation.

“It’s been frustrating for a team that usually scores a lot of goals,” said goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who made 31 saves for the Wild against the Ducks. “It was a big relief.”

Kaprizov’s performance didn’t surprise anyone on the Wild roster. Not after he got ejected from Tuesday night’s game in Los Angeles, a 1-0 loss to the Kings.

“He was very motivated, I think, with everything that went on last night,” coach Dean Evason said. “He was definitely ready to play.”

The ejection came when Kaprizov swung his stick at Doughty following a physical play behind the net. Though it’s highly unlikely that Kaprizov was actually trying to use his stick as a weapon, he made contact with Doughty’s face in the process. That was enough for the officials to assess a match penalty, and Kaprizov left the game with nearly 25 minutes left in regulation.

The good news for the Wild is that provided Kaprizov with some extra time to catch his breath. As defenseman Matt Dumba joked, Kaprizov looked “well rested” during the game against the Ducks. That allowed him to step up when the Wild needed him most.

“That’s what all-stars do,” said winger Joseph Cramarossa, who recently got called up from the minors. “He’s amazing. I hear a bunch of ‘wows’ every game I’ve been here. Just a great player.”

As the game progressed, the Ducks started to take liberties with Kaprizov, perhaps trying to goad him into doing something like he did the night before in Los Angeles. Whenever something like that happened, though, various Wild players came to Kaprizov’s defense before anything escalted.

“We had a nice discussion on that as well as a group,” Evason said. “Our message was that we stick up for every guy on our team. That’s what this group has always done. We did it here tonight, and we have to continue to do that.”

There’s no sense in having Kaprizov fight those battles, even if he’s more than willing to do it.

No, the Wild are at their best when Kaprizov is on the ice, absorbing contact and letting his play doing his talking.

“He’s going to make plays and find a way to find the back of the net,” Dumba said. “That’s what he expects out of himself. That’s what we’ve gotten used to. Sometimes we take it for granted. He’s an awesome player.”

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