Joel Eriksson Ek scored with 23.1 seconds remaining to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Kaprizov, soon to be the league’s highest-paid player, has often been considered the Wild’s “engine” by teammates. And that’s still the case on many occasions. Kaprizov was dynamic again on Thursday, including setting up Boldy’s empty-netter. He’s a true superstar. However, it sure feels like Boldy is playing like an engine, too.

Quinn Hughes will make his Minnesota Wild debut against the Bruins on Sunday in a battle between two hot teams.

Marat Khusnutdinov is back in Minnesota for the first time since getting traded to Boston in March. The 23-year-old forward was a second-round pick for the Wild in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he played a cumulative 73 games for the team over two seasons.

Marcus Johansson scored twice, Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 5-2.