The Wild didn't revolve around Mats Zuccarello and Victor Rask last season.
While Zuccarello wandered the depth chart in his debut with the team, eventually settling into the bottom-six forward group, Rask struggled to crack the lineup.
"This year has been better than last year, obviously," said Zuccarello, who was talking about his own performance, but the sentiment also applies to Rask.
While their skill sets are different, with Zuccarello a playmaking winger and Rask a two-way center, what accentuates their strengths is what they have in common: playing alongside Kirill Kaprizov.
The Wild has won seven consecutive home games, one short of the team record, entering Tuesday's game against Arizona. Kaprizov, the runaway scoring leader among NHL rookies, has been a constant threat on the ice, elevating the play of his teammates in the process.
And after loitering on the fringes of the Wild's offense, Zuccarello and Rask have become hardwired into the scoring surge that has headlined the team's climb.
"[Kaprizov has] definitely helped a lot," Rask said. "He's a really good player, but he works really hard, too. It's not all skill, but he has a lot of skill. Just a lot of fun."
Zuccrello, Rask and Kaprizov have been reunited after a brief stint apart, and the three immediately rediscovered the chemistry in their partnership.