Fueling a crucial Game 3 victory, Minnesota's superstar channeled outside skepticism into a relentless performance, dragging the Wild back into the series through pure grit and competitive fire.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Marcus Foligno could see it before the game even started.
Kirill Kaprizov had that look.
“I looked to him, he just had that look in his face today,” Foligno said after the Minnesota Wild’s 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3. “Just a leader for sure tonight. Honestly I thought it was his best game all year. I mean really.”
Kaprizov scored, created chances all night and helped drag the Wild back into their second-round series Saturday night. But afterward, inside the Wild locker room, teammates were talking less about the points and more about the way their superstar competed.
“That’s what he does that makes him so special as a player,” Foligno said. “It’s like the 1-on-1 plays is what everyone wants to think Kirill can do, but it’s the battle level that is just so infectious for our group and it’s insane.”
Kaprizov heard it. He heard the criticism. The questions. The constant discussion about whether the Wild superstar was doing enough despite entering Saturday night being in the top-3 of Stanley Cup Playoffs scoring.
Then he went out and completely took over Game 3.
This was not just highlight-reel skill. This was Kaprizov dragging the Wild into the fight shift after shift. Winning battles. Hunting pucks. Playing with desperation.
The Wild needed that version of him.
Minnesota entered Game 3 down 2-0 in the series after getting overwhelmed by Colorado’s pace through the first two games. Kaprizov admitted the days off between games helped the Wild physically, but mentally, the losses stayed with him.
“Yeah especially when you lose two games on the road. You’re just thinking about how you want to beat these guys next game and stuff like that.”
John Hynes noticed the difference before the puck even dropped.
“I would say sometimes he gets a little on the quieter side. I mean, he’s always got the fire lit because he’s an unbelievable competitor, but sometimes his demeanor changes a little bit, less smiles and more focus and things like that. I think it was good. You could tell yesterday in practice and this morning in the skate, just his overall demanor, that he was into it.”
Into it might have been an understatement.
Kaprizov looked determined to be the best player on the ice from the opening shift. Brock Faber saw it too.
“He was great tonight. He was as competitive as I've ever seen him tonight, and you know, he's gonna keep that rolling. He was confident. He wanted to be the best player on the ice and he was definitely one of them.”
Ryan Hartman pointed to the same thing.
“Great, strong on the battles. Won a lot of his 50-50 pucks. He could have had three, four goals tonight. He was great.”
That is what made Saturday feel different.
Kaprizov has always been able to score. Everybody knows that. But this was the version of him that overwhelms teams because of the pace and intensity he plays with. Colorado could not get comfortable when he was on the ice.
And somehow, even while leading the playoffs in points, the outside noise around him kept growing.
Hartman laughed when asked about it.
“Uhhhh, who?”
When media and fans were brought up, Hartman smiled.
“There you go.”
Foligno was even more direct.
“Yeah, you guys are so hard on him. … No, you know what? Hopefully when he can play like the way he played tonight, it's very noticeable. I mean, he's gonna get his chances, his looks, but when he brings you into battle, it's the most exciting version of Kirill.”
Kaprizov knows the criticism exists. He even joked about it afterward in his own way.
“It’s good sometimes you guys give me not pressure, no, it’s bad word but I don’t want to say it. You give me s---. I just start move better. More play my game, my style.”
That style looked a lot more like the Kaprizov the Wild needed Saturday.
Minnesota did not sit back with the lead. They kept attacking. Their stars kept pushing and Kaprizov was at the center of it.
It was exactly why elite players are paid to change playoff games.
“It does,” Hynes said when asked if games like this show why stars take up so much salary cap space. “The thing with those guys is that it’s nice when you have high-end players like that that have played in high-stakes environments and they play their best when the stakes are the highest. They’re all extremely smart. They’re very hard-working. They take pride in their game and in the team’s game, but when the moments get hot, all those guys prove time and time again that they can bring their best in those environments.”
Kaprizov brought exactly that Saturday night. Not just offense but domination.
And now, instead of staring at a 3-0 series deficit, the Wild are right back in it because their superstar decided to take over Game 3.
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