Analysis: Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov gets one puck past old friend but laments missed chances

Kirill Kaprizov and Ilya Sorokin go way back, the Wild forward and New York Islanders goaltender knowing each other almost all Kaprizov’s life.

They grew up going to the same school in Russia, and their teams practiced one after the other. Finally, the two played together, including in the KHL.

“Same teams in Russia everywhere,” Kaprizov said.

So, as familiar as Kaprizov is with Sorokin … the knowledge goes both ways.

Kaprizov did get one puck by his friend — and a memorable one, at that — but it was the shots that Sorokin stopped that Kaprizov bemoaned.

“I sometime practice with him in summertime,” Kaprizov said. “Last summer, I don’t practice with him. Maybe this why.”

Despite scoring to pass Marian Gaborik for the second-most points in franchise history, Kaprizov said he needed to work on his finishing after Sorokin denied his six other tries, and the Wild fell one goal short in a 4-3 overtime loss to New York on Saturday night, Jan. 10, in their return to Grand Casino Arena from a seven-game road trip.

Still, there was plenty to like about the Wild’s effort, particularly how balanced it was: The team’s star power was on display, as was its depth, and the combination is what makes the Wild a tough matchup.

“It is a big factor in being able to be a winning team,” coach John Hynes said, “is when you do have guys out of the lineup for whatever reason that might be is that guys can come in and contribute and play a style of game that gives us a chance to win.”

If not for Sorokin, the Wild’s leaders would have had a field day.

The seven shots Kaprizov hurled on net were second to only Quinn Hughes’ eight. Add in another six from Matt Boldy, who netted his team-leading 27th goal, and 19 of Sorokin’s 33 saves — or more than half — came against the Wild’s top three scorers.

“It’s like [Mats Zuccarello] always [says], ‘It’s better you have chances than you don’t have chances,’ especially today,” Kaprizov said. “I don’t know how many breakaways I have and how many shots. Ilya, he made so many good saves.”

“Extremely great player and works really hard,” Hughes said of Kaprizov. “Competitive, hard to play against, plays with pace. Continuing to read off him, and that’s been fun.”

Hughes was locked in, the defenseman assisting on all three Wild goals, beginning with Ben Jones’ first in the NHL during the first period to set the by-committee tone for the game.

A free-agent pickup in 2024, Jones has played most of this season with the Wild but went to the minors once they were at full strength at forward. He was called up from Iowa in the American Hockey League after Joel Eriksson Ek got hurt in Seattle, and on his first shift back, Jones tipped in his first goal in his 49th NHL game.

“You try not to focus on it,” Jones said. “Obviously, that’s not what I do to help the team necessarily. But obviously, it’s great to contribute.”

Jones deflected in a shot by Brock Faber set up by Hughes, who was a fitting participant on the goal: He and Jones played minor league hockey together growing up in Toronto.

Daemon Hunt was another recent addition to make a difference.

In his second game back from a severe charley horse that sidelined him for 10, the defenseman took a feed from Hughes and forwarded it to Kaprizov for his milestone point in the second period.

“I felt pretty good,” Hunt said. “Last game, I felt like just the timing and pace was a little bit off. Tonight was a little bit better.”

Against another goalie, the Wild might have been victorious.

But what isn’t incompatible with winning is a well-rounded team.