Wild’s Kaprizov, Boldy are scary good right now
The Minnesota Wild may have been one of the Wild Card teams in the Western Conference, but after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 Tuesday and tying their first-round series 1-1, it’s clear they belong with the big boys.
Kirill Kaprizov finished with two goals and an assist, while Matt Boldy had a goal and assist, himself. With the two players being healthy at the most critical time, the Wild are playing like a team that’s looking to do damage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss the Wild’s Tuesday night win and how this first-round matchup has shaped up.
Tyler Yaremchuk: It is a 1-1 series out in Vegas, Frank. Listen, it was my prediction, my stunner in the west, is that Minnesota is going to grind down this Vegas team. After Game 1, I was feeling a little uneasy. I was thinking, “Ah, that was Minnesota’s chance to come out in the series and punch Vegas in the mouth real hard.”
They actually ended up doing that last night with a very impressive Game 2 from the Wild. They were up 4-0 early on in the second period. For Minnesota, the duo of Kaprizov and Boldy, man were they ever something last night.
Frank Seravalli: The saucer pass from Kaprizov and how ridiculous that was on a dime, it was like dropping a quarter in a coke machine from 85 feet away. It was so nice. Look, Boldy has been very impressive, too. I love the sticktoitiveness that Boldy has in his game, using the size and frame that he has to be a finisher. He’s really turned himself into quite a player for the Wild.
I think the other thing is: when you think about this team and the physical nature with how they play, that’s a big-boy series. There’s been a lot of incredible hits that we’ve seen so far, and the physicality seems to be the most physical of any of the series we’ve seen. I love that the Wild don’t back down from that – if anything, they initiate it.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…