Kaprizov Scores League-Leading 10th Goal, Wild Beat Blue Jackets 2-1

Kaprizov Scores League-Leading 10th Goal, Wild Beat Blue Jackets 2-1

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Kirill Kaprizov scored his 10th goal of the season on a second-period power play, lifting the Minnesota Wild to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The milestone goal arrived at 3:06 of the middle frame, when Kaprizov beat Cam Talbot over the shoulder from the bottom of the left faceoff circle to break a 1-1 tie. That power-play finish made him the fastest player in franchise history to reach 10 goals in a season, securing the mark in just nine games and eclipsing Brian Rolston’s old standard of 12 games set back in the 2006-07 campaign.

The game also extended Kaprizov’s point streak to six games, during which he has accumulated 12 points on seven goals and five assists. Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 13 shots for the Central Division-leading Wild, who improved their record to 6-2-1 and remained undefeated at home through four games.

Goaltenders and Early Scoring

Wallstedt denied Connor Garland on a breakaway just two minutes after the opening puck drop. Shortly after, Cam Talbot made three saves as the Blue Jackets successfully killed off a 5-on-3 Minnesota power play that lasted for 1:52. Talbot finished the evening with 32 saves for Columbus, which dropped to 3-4-0.

The scoreless deadlock broke late in the first period when Yakov Trenin intercepted a turnover at the blue line, beat a defender on a drive toward the net, and delivered a precise pass across the slot. Danila Yurov handled the feed to tap in his fourth goal of the season. Columbus answered just a minute later during a delayed penalty when Adam Fantilli fired a slap shot through heavy traffic that eluded Wallstedt, sending the teams into the first intermission tied at one.

Coaches Assess Execution and Effort

Columbus entered the matchup playing on the second night of a back-to-back following a 1-0 win against the New York Rangers, but head coach Rick Bowness pointed directly to execution as the primary obstacle for his squad.

Kaprizov Scores League-Leading 10th Goal, Wild Beat Blue Jackets 2-1
Photo: sports.yahoo.com

The execution wasn’t there. Was the effort there? Yes, it was. We worked very hard. But the execution – we couldn’t get any real flow going to the game. That would be the biggest disappointment, the execution… I thought we battled hard.

Rick Bowness, Blue Jackets coach

On the opposing bench, Wild coach John Hynes highlighted the ongoing development of Yurov, whose early-game tally helped lay the foundation for the victory. Hynes praised the young forward’s overall awareness and hockey sense on the ice.

He’s going to be a top-two line center the way that he thinks the game, sees the game. Now, we’re starting to see his skating, his confidence, his offensive instincts, on top of his hockey smarts and acumen without the puck, which is excellent.

John Hynes, Wild coach

“Felt like we controlled a lot of the game,” Wallstedt said after securing his sixth victory of the season. “We knew they were coming off a back-to-back. We also knew they had a good game last night, so we knew we had to be on our toes early.”

Standings and Upcoming Schedule

The victory keeps Minnesota atop the Central Division early in the schedule. Kaprizov’s league-leading output places him two goals ahead of Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor, who sits second in the league with eight tallies. Kaprizov joined elite offensive company as the sixth active player to reach 10 goals in nine games or fewer, matching blistering starts put up previously by Auston Matthews, Alex Ovechkin, David Pastrnak, Nikita Kucherov, and Sidney Crosby.

“Just playing, play games, and just feel good,” Kaprizov said regarding his early-season momentum. “I feel like first couple games it was a little bit tough. Don’t feel like power right away. But then after two, three, four games, feel better a little bit now.”

The Blue Jackets return home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, while the Wild hit the road to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to launch a five-game trip.

More on Cam Talbot

Blue Jackets vs. Wild | NHL Highlights | Oct 18, 2026
NHL Highlights | Blue Jackets vs. Wild – October 18, 2026
Wallstedt, Kaprizov, Hunt & Kiersted | Wild Postgame vs. Columbus | Oct. 18

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