Wild Achieve Fifth Consecutive Victory with New Lineup #

Despite dealing with four injuries, the Wild secured a 5-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks, marking their fifth consecutive victory. The newly formed top line featuring Kirill Kaprizov, Marco Rossi, and Matt Boldy delivered an exceptional performance, combining for four goals and nine points. Yakov Trenin scored his first goal of the season, much to his teammates’ joy.

Rossi scored twice and assisted, while Boldy, finding the net for the first time in seven games, added two assists. Kaprizov contributed a goal and two assists, reclaiming the NHL scoring lead with 42 points in 25 games, on track for a 137-point season. He also surpassed Ryan Suter for fifth place on the Wild’s all-time scoring list, with 372 points in just 303 games. “He’s a maniac,” said Boldy. “He’s insane. It’s fun to watch.”

Goalie Filip Gustavsson, leading the NHL with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage, secured his 13th win by making 26 saves. The wild improved their record to 18-4-4, excelling with an 11-1-3 road record and an unbeaten streak in their past nine away games. They also extended their road winning streak against the Ducks to nine games, a franchise record.

Following the game, the team traveled to Los Angeles for a match against the Kings, where Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to start. The Kaprizov-Rossi-Boldy line, created due to Joel Eriksson Ek’s injury, made an immediate impact. “Marco’s a first-line center, there’s no doubt about it,” Boldy stated. Rossi’s two goals included a perfect pass from Kaprizov and a deflection off Boldy’s shot, which ultimately gave them the lead.

“They read off each other really well,” observed Ducks coach Greg Cronin. “They got a high hockey IQ.” Kaprizov extended his scoring streak to 13 road games, and both Boldy and Rossi achieved significant personal milestones. “With Zuccy and Ekky out now, we just try and put us together,” Kaprizov said, highlighting the effective synergy between the three players.

Trenin’s relief upon scoring his first goal in a Wild jersey was visible, as his teammates celebrated enthusiastically. “It’s not the goal itself, but how the team responded,” Trenin noted. Kaprizov later passed the ‘Hero of the Game’ chain to Trenin, celebrating his achievement.

Reese Johnson, debuting on a fourth line with Ben Jones and Marat Khusnutdinov, performed strongly. Injuries have led to constant lineup adjustments, yet Iowa players’ recalls have kept the team performing consistently, underlined by the impactful play of players like Devin Shore.

Jonas Brodin’s injury timeline remains uncertain, with considerations of needed surgery, while Eriksson Ek’s lower body injury is showing signs of improvement, leaving his return date unspecified.