CALGARY — Kirill Kaprizov set Minnesota Wild records when he scored for the seventh straight game and extended his point streak to 13 in a 5-3 loss to the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday.
Kaprizov has 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in his 13-game run.
“To be honest, I don’t really think about that. I don’t pay attention to that,” Kaprizov said. “It’s a credit to my teammates that I play with. If it wasn’t for them, none of this would be possible, so thank you to them. Ultimately at the end of the day, we want to win as a team. This is a team game, and the win is more important than a personal record.”
Video: MIN@CGY: Andersson backhands home go-ahead goal
Tyler Toffoli scored twice, Rasmus Andersson had a goal and two assists, and Elias Lindholm had three assists for the Flames (13-10-3), who have won three in a row and finished 4-1-0 on a five-game homestand. Dan Vladar made 25 saves.
“We said we wanted to have a good household, and that’s what we did,” Andersson said. “We’re 4-1 and there’s the little stuff clicking like power play lately and the PK has been good, and our 5-on-5 has been better, and we’ve got good goalies.”
Mason Shaw and Jon Merrill each had a goal and an assist for the Wild (13-10-2), who had won four straight. Marc-Andre Fleury made 22 saves.
“To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what they did or how they did it,” Kaprizov said. “We need to focus on our game, play our game, and when we do that, we can win. If we continue to focus and continue to pay attention and stay strict throughout the whole game, we’ll win.”
Video: MIN@CGY: Kadri deflects in PPG 16 seconds into 2nd
Andersson scored on a backhand from the slot to put Calgary up 4-3 at 15:57 of the third period. His goal came after Merrill tied it 3-3 at 15:45 with a shot through traffic from the point.
Toffoli scored an empty-net goal with 1:10 remaining for the 5-3 final.
“They get a bounce and the puck goes in, and that’s hockey and then we score after the next shift,” Andersson said. “It was a big game from our team, and now we know to keep building and keep going.”
Karpizov scored at 1:27 of the first period to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. His goal streak surpasses his own mark from last season, as well as six-game streaks Nino Niederreiter in 2017-18 and Brian Rolston in 2007-08.
Shaw extended the lead to 2-0 at 2:25 when he finished a 2-on-1 by one-timing a pass from Connor Dewar.
“I think we’ve got to find a way when we’re ahead to stay calm but still play with the pace, still be aggressive out there,” Fleury said. “Got to make a few saves too and help the guys out.”
Video: MIN@CGY: Andersson’s shot goes in off Toffoli in 2nd
Calgary rallied in the second period with three goals in 3:11.
Nazem Kadri scored on the power play 16 seconds in by tipping Lindholm’s shot to cut it to 2-1, and Blake Coleman tucked a loose puck at the edge of the crease over the line to tie it 2-2 at 1:37.
Toffoli made it 3-2 at 3:11 when he redirected Andersson’s one-timer on the power play.
“That wasn’t our hottest start, for sure, but that shows a lot of maturity from our group, just staying poised and composed and not letting that seep into the second and third periods,” Kadri said. “I’m proud of our guys, but definitely could have had a better start, for sure.”
NOTES: Kaprizov’s point streak is the third-longest by any player this season, trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner‘s active 20-game streak, and an 18-game run from Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars. … Lindholm has six points in a three-game point streak (three goals, three assists). … Kadri has five points (two goals, three assists) in three games after going seven without one. … Minnesota did not score on the power play, ending a six-game streak.
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