Kirill Kaprizov wasted no time putting Minnesota in control, and the Wild never really let Florida breathe.
Kaprizov finished with three goals and an assist as the Wild rolled past the Panthers 4-1 on Saturday night, handing Florida a rough home opener. Matt Boldy got Minnesota going almost immediately, scoring his first goal of the season 53 seconds into the game.
From there, Kaprizov took over. He scored once late in the first period, struck again five minutes into the second, and capped his hat trick with an empty-net goal with 1:04 left. It was the kind of night that reminded everyone why Minnesota is almost unbeatable when he fills up the scoresheet: the Wild are now 42-5-2 all-time when Kaprizov has at least three points, and he has done it 49 times for the franchise, the most in team history.
Jesper Wallstedt backed up the offense with another strong performance in net, stopping 28 shots. He has started all five of Minnesota’s games so far and is now 3-1-1 with a .935 save percentage and a 1.79 goals-against average.
Florida’s lone answer came from Matthew Tkachuk, who scored by putting in his own rebound for his team-leading third goal of the season. But that was all the Panthers could manage against a Minnesota team that dictated the game from the opening minute.
Jacob Markstrom made 25 saves for Florida, but the Panthers were blanked on five power-play chances and have started the season 1 for 28 with the man advantage. They’ve also struggled to generate much offense overall, with just nine goals in their first five games and a lead time of only 8 minutes, 40 seconds across that stretch.
The Panthers were without Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand. The game also marked a milestone for Aaron Ekblad, who played in his 807th game for Florida and broke a tie with Barkov for the most games by a Panthers player. Florida was the last team to play its home opener this season, with Carolina, San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles all having opened their home schedules against the Panthers.
In Other News...
Wild's Quinn Hughes Gamble Suddenly Feels Far More Dangerous
Minnesotas move to bring in Quinn Hughes from Vancouver was supposed to give the Wild a major piece to build around, and the trade already carried the kind of upside that can reshape a blue line. Hughes has been open to signing an extension, so the deal did not arrive with the feel of a pure rental swing, but the contract side of the equation has kept the story from settling down the way the Wild would have hoped.
The sticking point is the same one that tends to follow star-level talent from team to team: term, timing and what comes next. Hughes and the Wild are still working through the details, with his future tied not just to Minnesotas plans but to the larger market that could form if he keeps the door open to free agency. For now, that has only fueled the noise around a player whose next deal could say as much about the Wilds long-term grip on him as the trade itself. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Give Rieger Lorenz A Chance Fans Will Want To Watch
Rieger Lorenz finally got the kind of call every young player waits for. The 22-year-old forward made his NHL debut against the Florida Panthers after being recalled from the Iowa Wild, turning a strong climb through the Minnesota system into his first game at the league level. Drafted in the second round in 2022, Lorenz arrived with a rsum that already stood out, including a decorated run at the University of Denver and two NCAA national championships before he signed his two-year entry-level deal.
For the Wild, the debut is another reminder of how much interest there is in the next wave of forwards trying to earn real minutes. Lorenz began his pro career in Iowa and got the promotion after showing enough early in the season to get a longer look, giving Minnesota a young player fans have reason to watch closely. It is the sort of opportunity that can change a prospects path quickly, and it puts Lorenz squarely in the conversation as one of the more intriguing names in the organization. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Reshuffle Top Line As Kaprizov Tries To Spark Stars
The Wild are already tinkering with their top forward group early in the 2026-27 season, and the latest shuffle puts Kirill Kaprizov next to two familiar, more established pieces in Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy. Minnesota opened with Kaprizov on a line with Danila Yurov and Maxim Shabanov, but the team has been exploring a different look after Kaprizov and head coach John Hynes both acknowledged the potential fit.
The change is about more than just finding Kaprizov a different set of linemates. Minnesota is still searching for a more dangerous attack from Boldy and Eriksson Ek, two players the Wild need to drive offense if the top six is going to settle in. The new alignment has already been used in game action and then carried into practice, giving the Wild a clear early-season answer to keep watching as they try to get their stars moving in sync. [Read more 🡒]