Kirill Kaprizov's Four-Point Night Lifts Minnesota Wild Past Sharks 4-1

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota — Kirill Kaprizov keeps scoring, and the Minnesota Wild keep winning at home. The Russian star scored his NHL-leading 16th goal of the season and added three assists for a four-point night as Minnesota beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday night at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul.

The win was Minnesota's third in a row and its sixth in seven games, and it kept the Wild unbeaten in regulation on home ice at 5-0-1. San Jose, meanwhile, lost a fourth straight game and has now scored two goals or fewer in each of those defeats, with rookie Macklin Celebrini providing its only goal of the night.

Key Points

• Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 16th goal and added three assists in a four-point night for Minnesota.
• Kaprizov extended his point streak to seven games, with 13 points — five goals and eight assists — in that span.
• Quinn Hughes scored a goal and added two assists and has now recorded a point in 16 of 18 games this season.
• Jesper Wallstedt stopped 23 shots as Minnesota improved to 5-0-1 at home and won for the sixth time in seven games.
• Macklin Celebrini scored San Jose's only goal, and the Sharks have lost four straight while scoring two or fewer goals in each game.

What Happened

Kaprizov wasted no time putting Minnesota in front. He opened the scoring on a power play at 7:55 of the first period, finishing a feed from Quinn Hughes to give the Wild a 1-0 lead and to reach 16 goals for the season, the most in the NHL.

San Jose answered early in the second period. Celebrini, the Sharks' young star, scored at 12:11 of the middle frame to tie the game at 1-1 and briefly quiet the home crowd. The tie lasted barely two minutes. Kaprizov set up Maxim Shabanov at 14:15 of the second period to restore Minnesota's lead at 2-1, and the Wild never trailed again.

Hughes, who had already assisted on the opener, added a goal of his own to stretch the lead, and Kaprizov completed his four-point night by setting up Zach Bogosian for the 4-1 goal at 13:58 of the third period. Wallstedt closed the door from there, finishing with 23 saves as Minnesota saw out a comfortable win.

Background: A Star Hitting Full Stride

Kaprizov's night was the latest chapter in a remarkable run of form. His point streak has now reached seven games, and his 13 points in that stretch — five goals and eight assists — underline how central he has become to everything Minnesota does in attack.

The 16th goal also keeps him alone at the top of the NHL goal-scoring race, and the four-point night was a reminder of his wider value: he was involved in all four Minnesota goals, scoring one and setting up three.

Hughes has been almost as important. The defenceman has now recorded a point in 16 of 18 games this season, and his goal and two assists on Friday gave Minnesota a second creative hub alongside Kaprizov. When both are producing, the Wild's attack has looked hard to contain at home.

Minnesota's home record tells its own story. At 5-0-1 at Grand Casino Arena, the Wild have turned their own building into a genuine advantage, and Friday's win was their sixth in seven games overall — the kind of run that builds separation in a tight Western Conference.

Kirill Kaprizov Leads the NHL Goal Race

Sixteen goals before the middle of November is a serious pace, and Kaprizov is setting it while doing far more than finishing chances. His three assists on Friday were as telling as the goal itself: he had a hand in every Minnesota goal on the night.

The goal race is the headline, but the consistency is the story. A seven-game point streak, points in bunches, and a hand in all four goals on Friday — that is the profile of a player carrying a team, not just a scorer on a hot run.

For San Jose, the concern is at the other end of the ice. Celebrini's goal was a bright spot, but the Sharks have now lost four in a row and have scored two or fewer in each of them. A team that cannot score cannot stay in games, however hard it works.

Reactions

No postgame quotes were included in the early match reports, but the numbers told the story plainly enough. Minnesota's stars delivered, its goaltender was steady, and the home crowd watched a team in control from the moment Kaprizov opened the scoring.

For San Jose, the response will have to come on the ice. Four straight defeats, each with two goals or fewer, is a pattern, not a blip, and the Sharks need their attack to find a second source of goals behind Celebrini.

Why It Matters

For Minnesota, this was more than a routine home win. A 5-0-1 record at home and six wins in seven games is the foundation of a strong season, and when your best player is also the league's leading goal scorer, the ceiling rises.

The Wild's balance stood out on Friday: goals from the top line, production from the blue line through Hughes, and 23 saves from Wallstedt. Teams that win in different ways are harder to beat over a long season.

For San Jose, the defeat deepens a worrying slide. The Sharks' scoring drought is now four games long, and every extra game without goals makes the climb back harder. Celebrini can only do so much alone.

What Happens Next

Minnesota will look to extend its winning run and protect its unbeaten home record in regulation when it returns to the ice, with Kaprizov's streak and the goal race giving the home crowd plenty to follow. The Wild's recent form — six wins in seven — has them playing with the confidence of a team that expects to win at home.

San Jose, meanwhile, must find a way to break a four-game losing run and a scoring slump that has now stretched across four games. The Sharks' next outing is a chance to reset, but the numbers say the fix has to come from more than one line.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score between the Wild and the Sharks?
Minnesota beat San Jose 4-1 on Friday night, November 6, 2026, at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul.

How many points did Kirill Kaprizov record?
Kaprizov had four points — one goal and three assists — and was involved in all four Minnesota goals.

How many goals has Kaprizov scored this season?
Sixteen, the most in the NHL, after his first-period power-play goal on Friday.

How long is Kaprizov's point streak?
Seven games, in which he has 13 points: five goals and eight assists.

Who scored San Jose's goal?
Macklin Celebrini scored the Sharks' only goal, at 12:11 of the second period.

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