On Tuesday, the Minnesota Wild won Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round with a 5-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, tying the series 1-1. Kirill Kaprizov contributed two goals and an assist, playing a key role in the Wild's offense. The win marked Minnesota's first against the Golden Knights this season and in the playoffs, after Vegas won Game 1 and swept the regular-season meetings, as reported by CBS News Minnesota. The game at the T-Mobile Arena saw Vegas take the first five shots. However, Filip Gustavsson made key saves, finishing with 29 stops. Minnesota responded by scoring three goals in the first period, two of which came after mistakes by Vegas.
Matt Boldy, who scored his third goal in two games, credited Kirill Kaprizov's assist, saying, "That might have been the best pass I've ever seen. He's a special player, obviously," as mentioned by NHL. The pair has combined for four goals in the current series. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy addressed his team's puck handling, saying, "We didn't take care of the puck," which he noted allowed top players to generate easy offense during the playoffs, as per CBS News Minnesota.
The Golden Knights trailed by four in the second period but managed to cut the lead to two. As the series moves to St. Paul on Thursday's Game 3, Cassidy told NHL, “We’ve got to play better,” recognizing the team’s slow start and improved play as the game went on. In the final moments, Kaprizov and the Wild secured the win with an empty-net goal from nearly 200 feet, ending any chances of a Vegas comeback.
