NHL roundup: Kirill Kaprizov's hat trick guides Wild past Sharks

 

[March 04, 2024]  Kirill Kaprizov notched a hat trick, completing it with the go-ahead score with 3:59 remaining in the third period, to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday evening in Saint Paul, Minn.

Kaprizov has five career hat tricks, including two in the last two weeks. Frederick Gaudreau also scored for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game winless streak. Matt Boldy recorded a pair of assists.

Mikael Granlund, Nico Sturm and Anthony Duclair scored one goal apiece for San Jose. The Sharks fell to 0-6-1 in their past seven games.

Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 12 of 15 shots to improve to 17-15-3.

Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen turned aside 28 of 32 shots but fell to 6-20-2. Kahkonen played against the Wild for the first time since they traded him to San Jose on March 21, 2022, along with a fifth-round draft pick in that year's draft in exchange for defenseman Jacob Middleton.

Jets 5, Sabres 2

Morgan Barron scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:05 left in regulation, highlighting Winnipeg's four-goal third period in a comeback win over host Buffalo.

A day after scoring five unanswered goals in the third for a 5-3 victory at Carolina, the surging Jets nearly matched that output Sunday. Barron put Winnipeg ahead for the first time when he streaked into the Sabres' zone and unleashed a wrister that beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (30 saves) just prior to the six-minute mark.

Laurent Brossoit made 17 saves for Winnipeg, which has won nine of its past 11. JJ Peterka posted his 20th goal of the season and Eric Robinson also scored for Buffalo, which had won two straight and five of its past six.

Kings 5, Devils 1

Phillip Danault registered his second career hat trick and scored his first goals on home ice this season as Los Angeles overcame an early deficit and cruised past visiting New Jersey.

Danault scored at home for the first time since March 6, 2023, by notching the game-tying goal in the first period and striking again in the second before scoring into an empty net with 2:13 left in regulation. Alex Laferriere and Kevin Fiala also scored for the Kings, who improved to 8-4-0 under interim coach Jim Hillier.

Los Angeles goaltender Cam Talbot was beaten by Timo Meier 15 seconds into the contest but finished with 30 saves. Meier scored the NHL's second-fastest goal this season, but the Devils lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Mar 3, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; San Jose Sharks center Mikael Granlund (64) skates to the puck against the Minnesota Wild in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Coyotes 5, Capitals 2

Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists for the first three-point game of his career as Arizona followed its 14-game losing streak with a second straight win, beating host Washington.

Logan Cooley, Jason Zucker, Michael Kesselring and Nick Schmaltz also scored for the Coyotes, who were missing Clayton Keller due to injury. Arizona goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 24 saves on 26 shots as the Coyotes delivered a gut punch to the playoff-hopeful Capitals.

Sonny Milano and Anthony Mantha found the back of the net for Washington. Charlie Lindgren thwarted 23 of Arizona's 27 shots on goal.

Canucks 2, Ducks 1

Conor Garland scored the go-ahead goal early in the second period as visiting Vancouver picked up a much-needed victory against Anaheim amid a rough two-week stretch.

Nils Hoglander scored, and Casey DeSmith made 18 saves to rebound from a brutal outing in which he allowed eight goals in a 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 19. The Canucks won for just the second time in their past eight games (2-5-1) to move back into first place in the Western Conference, two points above the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets.

Anaheim was without No. 1 goaltender John Gibson (illness), along with Leo Carlsson (upper body), Mason McTavish (lower body) and Trevor Zegras (ankle).

--Field Level Media

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