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Kaprizov Shines as Wild Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Golden Knights

ST. PAUL, MN — After missing half the regular season with a nagging lower-body injury, Kirill Kaprizov is back—and so are the Minnesota Wild.

Kaprizov scored two power-play goals on Thursday night, leading the Wild to a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights and a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Matt Boldy continued his hot streak with a goal in his third consecutive game, Marco Rossi netted his first career postseason goal, and Marcus Foligno added an empty-netter as Minnesota built off their Game 2 victory and kept the energy high at the raucous Xcel Energy Center.

Kaprizov and Boldy now share the NHL playoff lead with four goals each, combining for 13 points. Center Joel Eriksson Ek, who drew praise from Kaprizov postgame, helped power the Wild’s dominant top line, which accounted for 17 shots on goal.

In stark contrast, the Golden Knights’ top trio of Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, and Mark Stone has yet to register a single point in the series.

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson was sharp once again, making 30 saves. He was particularly impressive in the final minutes as the crowd roared in appreciation. Vegas briefly cut into Minnesota’s early 2-0 lead when Alex Pietrangelo scored late in the first period. Reilly Smith later added a short-handed goal with 8:26 remaining in the third, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.

Kaprizov opened the scoring just 2:46 into the game, capitalizing on an early Vegas penalty. He circled behind the net, faked out Reilly Smith, and fired a wrist shot through traffic to make it 1-0. Wild rookie Zeev Buium earned his first career postseason point with an assist on the play.

Kaprizov’s second goal came with just two seconds left in the second period, as Ryan Hartman’s shot deflected off his chest and past Vegas goalie Adin Hill, pushing the lead to 4-1.

Hill, who had 17 saves, was pulled after the second period and replaced by Akira Schmid for the third. Hill also struggled in Game 2, stopping only 12 shots, and once again didn’t get much help from his defense.

Boldy’s goal midway through the second was a highlight—he outmuscled Noah Hanifin behind the net, curled in front, and buried a shot into the top corner.

Despite being outhit 42-26 and losing the faceoff battle 58% to 42%, the Wild made the most of their opportunities, while the Pacific Division-champion Golden Knights, who had the NHL’s third-best regular season record, left St. Paul with little to show for their effort.

Game 4 is set for Saturday night in Minnesota, where the Wild look to keep the momentum rolling.