Typically, Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes needs that his star participant, Kirill Kaprizov, would get off the ice sooner after follow is completed.
However Kaprizov lingers, typically for a half-hour or extra, taking extra photographs from each angle. Hynes worries that Kaprizov will put on himself out however he additionally is aware of that the additional work pays off in video games, when Kaprizov scores on the identical photographs that he practices a lot.
Kaprizov and the Wild will look to remain sizzling once they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Minnesota is in search of its second win in as many days after it pulled away for a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Kaprizov scored twice within the recreation, giving him a team-high 20 objectives on the season.
“The extent of consistency that he is taking part in with at a excessive stage night time in and night time out has been actually spectacular,” Hynes stated. “He is a man that could be a chief of our workforce on the ice, off the ice. To have him taking part in on the stage he is taking part in at, it helps drive the workforce.”
Vegas additionally will play on brief relaxation after shedding 6-3 on the highway in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. The Golden Knights gained the earlier 4 video games, together with a 3-2 additional time win in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
Vegas ahead Ivan Barbashev stated he and his teammates had been pleased that that they had a fast turnaround to face the Wild. That method, as a substitute of dwelling on a lopsided loss, they may channel their frustration into the following recreation on brief discover.
“It is like a little bit wake-up name,” Barbashev stated. “We have simply acquired to get again to our regular recreation. Regroup on the flight to Minny and attempt to go on the market and play higher.
“(Minnesota is) a very good workforce. This journey is fairly powerful — taking part in in opposition to Winnipeg, Edmonton and Minny (on Sunday). We have simply acquired to show the web page and be higher.”
The Golden Knights may flip to Ilya Samsonov in internet one night time after Adin Hill gave up six objectives on 34 photographs in opposition to Edmonton. Samsonov is 6-3-1 with a 3.16 goals-against common and an .896 save proportion this season.
In two profession video games in opposition to the Wild, Samsonov is 2-0-0 with a 2.48 GAA and a .912 save proportion.
Minnesota’s goaltending image is much less clear after the workforce recalled Jesper Wallstedt on an emergency foundation from the workforce’s American Hockey League affiliate in Iowa after the sport. Wallstedt’s promotion signifies that both Filip Gustavsson or Marc-Andre Fleury is coping with one thing that would trigger him to be inactive Sunday.
The 22-year-old Wallstedt appeared in three video games with the Wild final season. He went 2-1-0 with a 3.01 GAA and an .897 save proportion.
If Wallstedt will get the beginning, it’ll mark his first assembly in opposition to the Golden Knights.
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy stated his workforce would want to battle laborious in opposition to the Wild.
“They are a good defensive workforce, so in the event you could be sturdy on pucks down low, get to the inside ice — you are going to have to try this,” Cassidy stated. “And we’d run into one other sizzling goalie. We did in Winnipeg the opposite night time and at last broke by means of in the long run. …
“If we will try this (Sunday) and produce the identical offensive power, we ought to be OK.”
–Area Degree Media
