Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov named NHL first star of the week

Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov of Novokuznetsk, Russia was named the National Hockey League first star of the week on Monday. The 26-year-old veteran forward on the Wild was recognized for his offensive prowess for the week from January 15 to 21.

Kaprizov’s statistics from January 15 to 21

In four games, Kaprizov had five goals and three assists for eight points. He was a +3 with six penalty minutes, four-power play points, one game-winning goal, 16 shots on goal, three hits, and three blocked shots.

Kaprizov began the week with one assist in a 5-0 Wild win over the New York Islanders on January 15. This game was known for by the fact that Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury of Sorel, Quebec moved into second place on the NHL all-time goaltender wins list with 552. That was followed by Kaprizov notching one assist in a 7-3 Wild loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 18, two goals and one assist for three points in a 6-4 Wild win over the Florida Panthers on January 19, and three goals in a 5-2 Wild win over the Carolina Hurricanes on January 21.

Kaprizov’s Game-Winning Goal

Kaprizov scored the game-winning goal in the Wild’s two-goal win over the Panthers. He scored from Mats Zuccarello of Oslo, Norway and Brock Faber of Maple Grove, Minnesota at the 41 second mark on the power-play to begin the third period. At the time, Minnesota took a 5-2 lead.

Fourth Career Hat Trick

Kaprizov’s hat trick against the Hurricanes was the fourth of his career. He also scored thrice in a game on March 12, 2021 in a 4-0 Wild shutout win over the Arizona Coyotes. The second hat trick came in a 6-2 Wild win over the St. Louis Blues on May 4, 2022 during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Then Kaprizov scored three times in a 3-2 Minnesota win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 26, 2023.

Kaprizov in 2023-24

In 2023-24, Kaprizov has 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 39 games. He is a +4 with 20 penalty minutes, 19 power-play points, four game-winning goals, 131 shots on goal, 20 blocked shots, 19 hits, 15 takeaways and 39 giveaways.