Kirill Kaprizov tallied two goals and an assist as the Minnesota Wild continued their winning streak with a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Ryan Hartman contributed a goal and two assists, while Rem Pitlick and Dmitry Kulikov also found the net for the Wild. Minnesota has now won five consecutive games and has scored an NHL-leading 64 goals in their last 15 games since November 2nd.
Hartman’s line with Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello was particularly effective, combining for 16 shots on goal.
“The looks they had were incredible,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “(Hartman’s) Obviously feeling it, and the line was really good. They didn’t cheat the game. They played the right way and had a tremendous amount of looks.”
Kaapo Kahkonen made his second straight start in goal for Minnesota, finishing with 29 saves.
Ryan Graves and Tomas Tatar scored for New Jersey, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves.
“We got smoked on the compete, there’s no doubt,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “First goal went around us. Net front, we got beat. They won the complete game, there’s no doubt.”
With Hartman’s breakout season and Kaprizov’s scoring surge in his second NHL season, Minnesota has become an offensive powerhouse. The Wild were fourth in the league in goals per game and have scored at least four in 12 of their last 15 games. Their 33 points mark the best start in franchise history after 23 games.
“We’re having a great time,” Hartman said. “But we’re playing the right way, and that’s why it’s happening. We’re playing underneath the puck. We’re playing smart defensively.”
Kaprizov opened the scoring midway through the first period by driving the net and beating Blackwood with a forehand shot. He added his eighth goal of the season early in the second period, giving the Wild a 3-0 lead. Kaprizov has six goals and 11 assists in his last eight games.
“Yeah, we just went out there, played our game, tried to play hockey, tried to create opportunities for each other, and had fun,” Kaprizov said through a translator.
Pitlick, a rookie claimed off waivers from Nashville in October, scored his fifth goal of the season in the first period.
The Devils, who have lost three of their last four games, got back in the game with two goals in the second period, making it 3-2.
Graves scored his second goal of the season with a slap shot from the point, and Tatar scored on a breakaway after a pass from Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton had two assists in the game.
“A little bit of life, and then we give up the next one,” Graves said. “I think we just have to do a better job of managing the game. We’re making the game kind of tough on ourselves right now.”
Kulikov, a former Devil, restored Minnesota’s two-goal lead with his second goal of the season, and Hartman added his 13th goal in the third period, tying him for eighth in the league in goals.
“Our defense is better than that,” Ruff said. “Our defense probably had as tough a night as I’ve seen them.”
COVID-19 PROTOCOL
New Jersey announced that goaltending coach Dave Rogalski was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Minnesota forward Frederick Gaudreau missed his second game while in COVID-19 protocol.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Play the second game of a back-to-back Friday in Winnipeg.
- Wild: Finish their five-game homestand Saturday against Toronto.
