“He’s a skilled player,” Ersson said. “I don’t think it’s luck for him.”
Just over 15 minutes into a scoreless first period, Wild defenseman Jon Merrill fired a shot that caromed off the end boards behind Ersson. The puck ricocheted to Kaprizov, who was about a foot ahead of the goal line, 10 feet to the left of the net.
Ersson slid to his left to cover the post. But firing high from a bad angle, Kaprisov's shot rattled off the side of Ersson's head and into the net.
Wild coach John Hines said Kaprizov often works on similar shots for up to 30 minutes a day after practice or pregame skates, and the practice paid off again.
“It isn’t the first time he’s done in a game either,” said Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who faces Kaprizov every day in practice. “So I’m not surprised. He's fun to watch.”
Kaprizov added an empty-netter with 2:10 remaining — his 20th of the season — to move into second-place in the NHL, one behind Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP