Even against the background of Connor McDavid's crazy performance and incredible game Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov could count on at least getting into the list of contenders for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the most valuable hockey player of the NHL regular season. But the end of the championship for the Russian striker “savages” was blurred. May not be his fault.
On March 9, at the end of a match against the Winnipeg Jets, Kaprizov was injured. The 100-kilogram and two-meter Canadian defender of the “reactives” Logan Stanley unsuccessfully fell on the Wild forward and collapsed on his leg with all his weight. From the side, the episode looked very creepy: Kaprizov almost sat on the splits, and his left leg unnaturally arched around the knee.
Fortunately, Kirill escaped serious injury. It took a little less than a month for him to fully recover. During this time, the “Wild” played 13 games without their leader, but managed to make up for his absence and got a ticket to the playoffs. The very same Whims, as the head coach of the “savages” Dean Evason admitted, literally for weeks pestered him to let him return to the ice.
“Never in my career have I been out due to an injury for so long. It happened that I missed a week and a half, but no more. So it was hard for me. Am I angry at Logan Stanley? No. These things happen. The episode took place in the heat of the fight. Perhaps I took the wrong position. He apparently wanted to play the body, and I turned the wrong way. It happens that this is hockey, «Kaprizov later said in an interview with The Athletic.
The return of Cyril to the squad was indeed an extremely important event for the whole of Minnesota. The press service of the Wild announced the long-awaited comeback of the Russian in a truly legendary style. «He's back» — with these words and the format of the official letter, the «savages» indirectly compared Kaprizov with Michael Jordan. The famous basketball player announced his return to the big sport 28 years ago via fax, the content of which was limited to a short quote from His Air: «I'm back.»
A month after the injury, Kaprizov played his first match, scored no points, and then got some more rest. Having missed the game with the “Chicago Blackhawks”, the Russian returned to the squad and took part in the game with the “Winnipeg”. Against the club, which ruined the entire season for Kaprizov, preventing the Russian from reaching the 50-goal mark. And Kirill would definitely have knocked out his fifty dollars in the regular season — there was no doubt about it.
As in the match against the “St. Louis Blues”, a meeting with the “Jets” Russian striker “Wild” began very actively. With all his behavior on the court, Kirill made it clear how much he missed hockey and that he intended to get in optimal shape as quickly as possible for the playoffs starting soon. Thanks to his diligence and focus on other people's nets, the Russian got to the next goal.
Caprizov at the end of the majority was on the lookout for a rebound in the slot area and backhand sent the puck into an empty net — Winnipeg goalkeeper Connor Hellebike, who had a great match, at this moment has already been played. Kirill's emotions after the goal are eloquent.
«We've been waiting to say this… OOP! He's back and we love him very much,» the Wild media service described the Russian's goal on the club's Twitter account.
This puck was the 40th for the Russian of the season. Kirill is the second Russian sniper after Alexander Ovechkin to reach this mark this season. Kaprizov also set another franchise record by becoming the first player in Minnesota history to have more than one 40-goal season with the Wild. There are now two such Russians in the asset (he scored 47 goals in the 2021/22 season).
At the same time, Kaprizov again got and got from the Winnipeg players. Logan Stanley did not take part in the match, but the rest of the Jets hockey players acted very harshly against the Russian superstar.
At the end of the meeting, her degree rose to a boiling point, and the last segments of the match went by the rules of martial arts. Ryan Hartman took a special part in the fisticuffs, with whom even Vladislav Namestnikov grappled …
… but Ryan Reeves also participated. One of the main boxers in the NHL, Dean Evason, revealedly let out on the ice a few seconds before the final siren, and the Canadian thug managed to carry out his plan.
The game itself remained with the Jets. Guests from Winnipeg in the first period have achieved an advantage in the score (2:0), and after a goal by Kaprizov quickly restored the difference of two goals. Thanks to the victory, the «reactives» made it to the playoffs and became the last participants in the Stanley Cup from the Western Conference.