Fargo, ND, USA / 740 The FAN
May 29, 2021 | 8:11 PM
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) reverses the puck next to Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nick Holden (22) during the third period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 28, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Joe Buglewicz)
By Dave Campbel
In the end, the Minnesota Wild were left with another early exit from the playoffs.
Still, this truncated season, while fully enveloped by COVID-19 protocols, looked a little bit like a new beginning.
Pivoting further away from the core and identity of the teams of the previous seven years, before the advent of the coronavirus and the arrival of Kirill Kaprizov, the Wild entered a new era with the dynamic Russian left wing at the forefront of their attack.
Every young hockey player has dreams about playing in the NHL and in their dreams, they see themselves scoring a big goal in the 7th game in a playoff series. Last night, Mattias Janmark’s dream not only came through, he also scored a hat trick in the VGK’s Game 7