Kaprizov made it 4-1 with a power-play goal with two seconds remaining in the period. He got inside position on Hanifin at the left post and deflected in Ryan Hartman‘s shot from the right boards.

“Yeah, it’s so smart by him,” Kaprizov said. “That’s what I tell him too, ‘smart play.’”

Kaprizov (four goals, three assists) and Boldy (four goals, two assists) have each recorded a multipoint performance in all three games of the series.

“I mean, I think how hard they work is really setting the standard for the whole team,” Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek said. “Probably the two hardest working guys every night, I mean making plays and then being on those pucks. It’s fun for sure.”

Smith cut the deficit to 4-2 at 11:34 of the third period, finishing a feed from William Karlsson on a 2-on-1 short-handed rush.

Gustavsson preserved the two-goal lead by making a glove save on Jack Eichel on a power play at 14:31.

Marcus Foligno scored into an empty net during a 6-on-4 short-handed situation at 18:27 for the 5-2 final.

“There’s no need for panic,” Karlsson said. “It’s one game at a time. All we can focus on is the next one, and you know, have a status quo going back to Vegas (for Game 5). That’s what we’re aiming for.”

NOTES: Wild forward Marcus Johansson left in the third period with an undisclosed injury. There was no update postgame. … Minnesota has earned consecutive wins after losing the opening game of a series for just the third time in its history. It also did it against the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 Western Conference First Round, and against the Colorado Avalanche in the 2008 Western Conference Quarterfinals.