Holy Shit, Kirill Kaprizov

Some nights, you just know what is going to be the topic of conversation through every sect of hockey fandom. Whether it was an outstanding play, an insane rumor, or just guys being dudes, the answer is pretty obvious. Well on Friday night, it was Kirill Kaprizov putting a stamp on his already impressive start to his NHL career with an outlandish attempt at a goal that almost worked.

He has already done so much to bring the Wild kicking and screaming, to the forefront and get the general media talking about this team and its exciting start to the 2021 season. Every single minute he steps on to the ice, there is a chance he is able to create something special, and it was never more prevalent then during Friday night’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

Like, come the hell on dude.

It is beyond the occasion of the Wild’s home opener. It is beyond comprehension that this was a Russian guy picked in the fifth round and is stepping into the North American professional game for just the fifth time, and he is so close to scoring a goal that is good enough to be re-created in bronze outside of an arena.

I don’t even know if I can say that the Wild deserve this. A level of frank mediocrity for the past decade or so, but still being able to snap up Kaprizov and whisk him away from overseas, and have him dance around the ice while we all applaud with our mouths agape.

If he scored, I would be shoving it in front of everyone’s faces for the rest of my life. And San Jose Sharks goaltender Devan Dubnyk knows that.

“I can’t believe he made that move,” Dubnyk told media after the final whistle. “That’s one of those plays that you just thank God I got a piece of it because, it’s a nightmare when somebody makes a move that’s that slick and puts it in the back of the net. And then you’ve got 365 days to watch it over and over again on the highlights.”

Just one single year would be a little light for me, if he was able to score on that play.

Nevertheless, Kaprizov was still able to leave the game with his head held high. A pointless head, but he was still able to pull of shit like this against a terrible Sharks team.

Oh right, the Wild won this game 4-1 and are 4-1-0 to start the season.