Wild seek spark from Kaprizov, power play in Game 4 against Stars

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild have matched the Dallas Stars stride for stride at even strength in the Western Conference First Round, meeting the physical demands and pace through three games of a rugged best-of-7 series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They've won board battles, received timely goaltending and have had the Stars scrambling to catch their collective breath on occasion. Still, they need more juice from the player who has so often been their engine and their spark. They need swagger and some timely goals. 

They need Kirill Kaprizov. And he knows it, too.

"(My play has been) OK, but I need to score some goals," Kaprizov said after practice on Friday. "Obviously, our power play has struggled the last two games and I think we need the power play to be a little better. I think 5-on-5 we've played pretty good. It's like a 50-50 game where we have some chances and they have some chances."

After having a goal and two assists in a 6-1 win against the Stars in Game 1 on April 18, Kaprizov has produced just one assist over the past two games, both losses. 

The Stars won 4-3 in double overtime in Game 3 here on Wednesday to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is also here on Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, truTV, TBS, SNP, SNW, SNO, TVAS).

Kaprizov's difficulty finishing has coincided with a broader slump from the Wild's power play, which is 1-for-11 in the past two games since going 2-for-4 in Game 1. Coach John Hynes has gone back to the drawing board the past two days to figure out ways to get the power play and his star forward going again.

"I wouldn't pin the power play all on him," Hynes said. "I think that it's a five-man unit. There's some things that we need to execute better. Teams are good at certain things, but in every single system there's things that you can try to exploit, and then it's can you execute those at a high level to try to exploit them? I think that's where our power play has got to be a little bit better."

Kaprizov said the absence of linemate Mats Zuccarello the past two games due to an upper-body injury hasn't helped the situation.

"It's always tough to lose someone who you play with all season," Kaprizov said. "Obviously, Mats is a big part of us, and we played together a long time. So maybe I've had to adjust some things because most of the time we have some (chemistry) on the ice together. Sometimes you just can't think about this and when you jump on the ice, just try to create and make some plays and be in the moment." 

It's not too surprising Kaprizov has struggled minus Zuccarello, who can slip a pass through skates and sticks to spring Kaprizov into space. Their chemistry is learned, refined and instinctive. Remove Zuccarello from the lineup, and the Wild lose more than a top-six forward. They lose rhythm.

"I guess I would say the chemistry between the two is unique but, when you talk with Kirill, his style shouldn't change and it doesn't need to change whether he plays with ‘Zucci’ or not," Hynes said. "I think that 5-on-5, it's not all about Kirill getting the puck. It's also Kirill with the puck and how he's playing. When he's driving wide, skating down low and reverse-shouldering guys, playing a driving game, he's hard to contain. 

"It's not all about scoring from passes from Zucci. It's Kirill scoring at the net front, on a rebound, tip, driving the defense wide, finding (a pocket for the third forward) in the offensive zone. There are multiple ways he can score with or without Zucci."​

Hynes had Kaprizov alongside Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Bobby Brink and defenseman Quinn Hughes on the first power-play unit at practice on Friday. Hynes said Zuccarello will be a game-time decision.

Minnesota was 1-for-7 on the power play in Game 3 and is 3-for-15 in the series. Dallas is 6-for-17. The Wild went 0-for-4 with the man-advantage in a 4-2 loss in Game 2 on Monday and a combined 0-for-5 in the third period and overtime on Wednesday.

Kaprizov led Minnesota with 19 power-play goals and 45 goals overall in 78 games this season. Perhaps if he gained some swagger via the power play, it would give him confidence and carry over into other areas. 

"I think it's true because it helps your team, too," Kaprizov said. "Sometimes when you don't score on the power play, but have some chances, it's easy to play 5-on-5 with other lines because you're pressuring the team, doing breakouts and shooting. Even if you don't score, it's easy to play after if you have some chances and you just start feeling it more.

"But when your team wins, it doesn't matter (about not producing on offense). When the team loses and you don't score or do something, it's a little tough."

The Wild's only power-play goal in Games 2 and 3 came from the second unit when Marcus Johansson scored in the first period on Wednesday. In a series defined by inches and moments, one timely power-play goal can swing a period, a game or an entire matchup.

"(Kaprizov's) been playing great," Brink said. "Obviously, he has big expectations for himself. The truth is sometimes pucks don't go in, but he's one of our best players. I expect him to keep doing his thing and we all have trust in him."