Kaprizov made 19,000 Americans give a standing ovation. Here he is, the best Russian in the NHL

Last Friday, Kaprizov invested in the Wild victory over Seattle (6:3), breaking the mark of 100 points for the season. This is not only another club achievement and a high seventh position in the scorer race, but also the best result among Russians in the NHL at the finish of the regular season. It turns out that Kaprizov is the strongest Russian hockey player overseas?

If you focus strictly on the results, then, of course, yes. The Minnesota forward has been incredibly strong this season. Kaprizov not only consistently scores points, but also actively assists his partners, each of whom has improved his statistics this season. And, as a result, the Russian directly affects the game of his team and the result.

The Minnesota, whose lot in recent years was the struggle for a playoff exit and a painful loss in the first round, now almost imposed a fight for the leadership in the division against the Colorado, which the bookmakers consider the favorite of the Stanley Cup. In addition, the Wild broke a personal record for the most wins in a season, reaching 50.

The merit of Kaprizov in this is enormous – he is a leader not only on the ice, around which the game of the whole team is built, but also in the locker room. He’s already had motivational conversations with teammates when the Savages seemed to be flying past the playoffs, asking coach Dean Evason face-to-face questions about how to improve the game of the whole team. And in general, it seems, he reminded the whole of Minnesota that it is not for nothing that it is called the hockey state. It is this unity that is the ideal soil for the emergence of a real champion team.

Photo: © REUTERS / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The best time to recharge for a successful playoffs is the last matches of the regular season. Although the Wild have already qualified for the Stanley Cup, the ultimate goal of finishing first in the Central Division has yet to be completed. However, the match with Seattle, which quietly finishes the regular season in the penultimate place in the West, began discouraged: by the 11th minute, the “savages” were losing with a score of 0:2. And then Kaprizov came into action: in the majority, being on the left side, he provided Joel Eriksson Ek with a touch. He was surrounded by two Kraken defenders, but they did not have time to react to Kaprizov’s lightning-fast assist and did not fight for the puck.

The continuation of the banquet happened in the second period, which became a real benefit for Minnesota: the “savages” hammered 5 goals into the opponent’s goal, three of which would not have happened if it were not for Kaprizov’s actions. First, Eriksson Ek scored a double, equalizing the score in the match – 2:2, and then the Russian forward converted his chance in the majority. Kaprizov was waiting for a pass at the gate, standing sideways to them, and, having received the puck, he simply put his stick in, sending it into the net.

The third point for the match was the most significant of the season for Kaprizov. He received the puck from Hartman, being on the right side of the boards, and immediately returned it to him, leading his partner to a shot that turned into a goal. This assist became Kaprizov’s 100th effective action of the season, and he himself became the first Minnesota hockey player with a three-digit number of points in the regular season. This achievement, the stadium “Wild”, filled that evening with almost 20 thousand spectators, met standing and gave a long standing ovation to the main character.

Charged with the positive energy of the arena, two minutes later Kaprizov built another goal, this time scattering the defense of Seattle along with his partners in the majority like a textbook – 5:2. This transfer of the Russian marked the fall of another club record – with 56 assists in a season, Kaprizov became the best in this indicator. He broke the record for goals a few weeks earlier. In general, he became absolutely the best “savage” in history, and so far – the most productive of the Russians in the season.

Someone can argue and say that the best Russian of the season is Artemy Panarin from the Rangers, who has already scored 96 points and is also striving for the grandmaster’s hundred. But the team from New York, unlike Minnesota, is more solid, and therefore not as dependent on the Russian striker as the “savages” are on Kaprizov.

Photo: © REUTERS / Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Or maybe the best is Alexander Ovechkin? Without him, “Washington” is definitely not “Washington”. In addition, Ovi is having the strongest season in 12 years, and at the age of 36 he gives the youth a head start, gaining 90 points in a few matches before the end of the regular season. Or it’s Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who saves 93.6% per game, has an excellent reliability ratio (2.01), and is undeniably the best in the NHL here and now.

Despite the rich choice, we can safely say that the 2021/22 season is being held under the auspices of Kaprizov, who managed to literally transform his team and breathe strength and self-confidence into it. And that’s in just one full year in the NHL! It’s only the beginning.