The Minnesota Wild hosted the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night, Apr. 9, for their final regular-season meeting. After what felt like an eternity, the Wild had Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back in the lineup as they were activated off long-term injured reserve earlier that afternoon. It was a long couple of months for Wild fans as they lost Kaprizov in late January and Eriksson Ek about a month later, so they were eager to see those guys back on the ice.
Also making news was their goaltender, Marc-André Fleury, as he made what was likely his final home start of the regular season, and he was also nominated for the Masterton Trophy earlier that day. The game started in favor of the Sharks, and it was quite a ride from there as the Sharks put up seven goals with a Macklin Celebrini hat-trick and the Wild put up eight goals as Eriksson Ek recorded four goals and Kaprizov tallied two in their 8-7 overtime win. We’ll look at how it happened, starting with the return of Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek.
Wild Had Renewed Energy
Everyone knows Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek’s importance to the Wild lineup, but it clearly showed when the team took the ice against the Sharks. There was a renewed energy in the lineup close to what it was at the beginning of the season. Everyone was faster, passing smoother, and overall, things looked better. Of course, mistakes still needed to be worked on, but having those two back made a difference.
Eriksson Ek got on the board not once but four times with two on the power play, and all four goals were scored similarly in his favorite spot, right in the slot. He didn’t give up on either goal and kept pushing until he found the back of the net, something he’s always been known for and very good at.
Kaprizov, like Eriksson Ek, scored also on the power play from his favorite spot to the side of the net nearly halfway between the faceoff dot and the goal line. Not only did they score, but they also had great chemistry with their respective lines. Kaprizov was united with Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello while Eriksson Ek was back with Marcus Foligno and Matt Boldy. That line has already been named the “Beef line” for those that remember the “GREEF” line. It brings back fun memories and some hope for production.
“Yeah, for sure they’re our two best players, if you take any team’s two best players away, that’s a huge difference, such an impact that those guys have in every aspect of a team, of us playing well. So for them to work as hard as they did throughout these weeks they’ve been out and then to come back and perform like that, speaks a lot to them and their character,” said Boldy about how important Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are to the lineup.
Wild’s Power Play Successful
The Wild have been experimenting for a while now with having five forwards on the power play, and they’d been finding some success. However, just like the team’s energy level, their power play obviously needed Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov back in the lineup. They had more shots and didn’t waste much time on the perimeter.
Their first unit was Boldy, Eriksson Ek, Kaprizov, Zuccarello, and Rossi, and they proved they are worthy of that top status. They had all three of their team’s power-play goals, and it was just the second time this season the Wild have scored three goals on the power play. The other was against the Nashville Predators back on Dec. 31 in St. Paul, which was a 5-3 win.
“Yeah, but I still think the team tried to play their best hockey. Everyone in this room tried too…. Me and Ek just happy now and come back in the team and start playing again,” said Kaprizov about if it was hard to watch the team struggle while they were injured.
Wild’s Defense has to Step Up
The Wild finally got the scoring production they were looking for, but their defense struggled to help Fleury keep the puck out of the net all night long. Fleury made some remarkable saves but was also screened and forced to play a bit out of position as his defense couldn’t keep the Sharks away. The Wild were able to pull out this win thanks to a considerable offensive effort, but they’ll need their defense to step up if they hope to win more games.
“….the best part of tonight was we won the hockey game, and we can’t forget that because you need these two points to continue to move forward. I also think it taught us a lot, some good lessons. Whether that’s individuals we gotta talk to you know from that line chemistry perspective, where roles and responsibilities. We saw some things tonight that I think we can rectify, and I think from a team game as well,” said head coach John Hynes about having Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek back, but also acknowledging the team has things to fix.
Wild Honor Shero
Prior to the start of the game, the Wild held a moment of silence to honor Ray Shero, who passed away at the age of 62 earlier that day. He was a senior advisor to the Wild and had held many different roles in the NHL over the years. He was a mentor to Hynes, and Hynes gave a brief statement following the game on what Shero meant to him and the legacy he’ll leave.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Wild’s Overtime Win Over the Stars
“Yes, it certainly does. We’re all so passionate about our jobs and so passionate about the game, but it’s truly when it’s all said and done, it’s the legacy you leave, how you treat people, your reputation as a person. Condolences to Ray and his family but also I think the legacy he left as a person and a hockey…he’s touched so many people in so many positive ways,” said Hynes about the legacy Shero leaves behind and he continued, “And you know what I told Billy (Guerin) after this game as we all know it wasn’t it but he would’ve came down and he would’ve been like ‘that’s hockey, 8-7,’ lets goals, scoring goals, great for the fans, he would’ve loved it, that was Ray. We’re certainly going to miss him, but I think his memories will touch us forever.”
Wild Head on Road
The Wild will head on their final road trip of the regular season this weekend as they face the Calgary Flames on Friday, Apr.11 and then the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, Apr. 12. They’ll need this type of offensive production if they hope to get by both of those teams and hopefully they’ll also get a better defensive effort overall.
