Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 16th goal and added three assists in the Minnesota Wild’s 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Friday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Kaprizov has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) during a seven-game point streak.
Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists for the Wild, who have won three straight and six of their past seven games. Maxim Shabanov and Zach Bogosian also scored, while Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves as Minnesota improved to 5-0-1 at home.
Macklin Celebrini scored for the Sharks, who have lost four straight while scoring two or fewer goals in each game. Yaroslav Askarov made 25 saves.
The Wild had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:32 in the first period, and Kaprizov cashed in at 7:56, scoring through the five-hole with a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Hughes.
Late in the period, Wallstedt stopped Will Smith on a 2-on-1 rush.
Midway through the second period, Wallstedt made a pad save at the post on Celebrini’s one-timer from the right circle during a power play.
Minutes later, Celebrini tied the game, redirecting Dmitry Orlov’s pass over Wallstedt’s shoulder from in front at 12:11.
Celebrini has 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in seven career games against the Wild.
Shabanov put the Wild ahead 2-1 at 14:15 when he scored from the slot, redirecting a centering pass from Kaprizov past Askarov during a power play.
Hughes made it 3-1 at 6:54 of the third period. The Wild defenseman took a pass from Kaprizov, skated across the zone and scored with a high, far-side wrist shot from just above the left circle.
Hughes extended his point streak to seven games (four goals, eight assists) and has recorded a point in 16 of 18 games this season.
Bogosian earned his first point of the season and increased the lead to 4-1 at 13:58 when he handled the rebound of Joel Eriksson Ek’s shot along the right wall and sent a high slap shot past Askarov.
–Field Level Media
