ST PAUL, Minn. — It's an unspoken rule in the NHL: Teams go as their superstars do.
That was most certainly the case as the Minnesota Wild opened the 2023-24 season, stumbling out of the blocks with visible defensive miscues, poor goaltending and horrendous special teams.
Nearly as noticeable as the aforementioned shortcomings were the struggles of their elite winger Kirill Kaprizov. The Russian phenom, elevated to assistant captain before the season, seemed a step slow and wasn't generating offense. Worse yet, he was trying TOO hard to produce, giving up pucks and forcing passes that were regularly leading to odd-man rushes and goals by the opposition.
There was speculation Kaprizov was not physically right, still recovering from an injury last year when ginormous defenseman Logan Stanley of the archrival Winnipeg Jets awkwardly fell on him, folding Kaprizov up like a suitcase. After head coach Dean Evason was fired during the Wild's early-season downward spiral, Evason told reporters he thought the star winger had not properly healed.
Man, what a difference a few months make.
On Monday, the NHL named Kaprizov its First Star of the Week ending Feb. 25. All he did was score 6 goals and tack on 6 assists for 12 points in just four games, leading Minnesota to three wins and pushing the club back into the playoff picture with a huge week on the horizon. Games against division opponents Nashville and St. Louis take on huge importance, as wins could catapult the Wild into a wildcard spot.
Overall Kaprizov sits at 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) for the season.
There could be a handful of reasons for Kaprizov's resurgence, starting with the juggling of lines that led to him being paired with young hotshot Matt Boldy and the Swiss army knife of centers, Joel Eriksson Ek. The new partnership broke up Kaprizov's on-ice bromance with wing Mats Zuccarello, who is also the Russian's best friend and mentor off-ice. Former coach Evason seemed to avoid breaking up the two (whose games have a similar feel), perhaps fearing that an unhappy superstar would be a non-productive superstar.
John Hynes, who took over for Evason, had no reservations about splitting up the two pals. He put the Wild's three top goal-scorers in one basket, and the results have been nothing short of stellar. Boldy is skating with a newfound swagger and confidence, showing off the puck strength that allows him to shed defenders in the offensive zone and venture into the high-percentage "dirty" areas to score. Ek is having his most prolific offensive season to date, leading the club in goals with 28 (12 on the power play) while sacrificing none of the hard-nosed defense and peskiness he has become famous for.
And Kaprizov? He seems healthy, faster, and is skating with the confidence of the man who put up 108 points during the 2021-22 season. Hynes says the three play with "hard skill," noting the physical skills they bring to the table along with a healthy dose of grit.
“We’re just playing together,” Boldy told The Athletic following a recent 3-1 win over Arizona. “Playing with the system and all on the same page. Playing as one unit. When we play like that, we’re hard to play against.”
If the Wild are to continue picking off Western Conference foes and moving up into the pecking order, their top line has to keep producing. Just two points out of a playoff berth, there is no indication Kaprizov and his new linemates plan on slowing down any time soon.
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