ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored in overtime to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 comeback win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night for their first victory of the season.
Kaprizov had his fourth goal of the season and added two assists as Minnesota wrapped up its season-opening four-game homestand with its first points of the season. Mats Zuccarello added two goals and Sam Steel scored his second of the season.
Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 23 saves for Minnesota.
Bo Horvat scored for the third straight game, Dakota Joshua had a goal and assist and Nils Åman scored his first NHL goal for Vancouver, which let another lead slip away.
Thatcher Demko made 33 saves for the Canucks.
Vancouver had multi-goal leads in each of its first four games, blowing each and coming away with just one point in an overtime loss at Columbus in its previous game.
While the Canucks have had trouble holding leads this season, the Wild had trouble getting in front.
Zuccarello’s third goal of the season gave Minnesota its first lead of the new year 4:37 into the first period. Ryan Hartman was tied up with defenders on the side wall and the puck squirted out to the middle, where Zuccarello beat a defender to the puck and scored.
The lead lasted just 3:21 as Horvat scored his fourth goal of the season on a give-and-go, tapping in a centering pass from Tanner Pearson.
Aman, drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round in 2020, added his first in his fifth career game. Joshua sent Aman in alone on Fleury with a behind-the-back pass and Aman beat Fleury with a wrist shot.
Steel tied the game before the first intermission. Joshua’s goal was the lone tally in the second and held up until Zuccarello scored his second of the game on the power play.
A team with Stanley Cup aspirations after last season’s franchise-record 53 wins and 113 points, the Wild have suffered defensive lapses during their disappointing start. Fleury, the 37-year-old netminder who re-signed with Minnesota on a two-year deal in the offseason, has allowed 14 goals on 75 shots after being pulled in his previous start.
He was at his best from the second period on, allowing one goal on the final 18 shots he faced.
The Wild, who went 31-7-2 at home last season, had allowed 20 goals in the first three games of their opening homestand.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Host Buffalo Saturday in Vancouver’s first home game of the season.
Wild: Travel for the first time this season with a road game at Boston Saturday
