Bobby Brink scored his first goal as a member of the Minnesota Wild to help his new team cruise to a 5-0 win over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Kirill Kaprizov notched a goal and an assist, while Matt Boldy, Danila Yurov and Ryan Hartman scored one goal apiece for Minnesota, which won for the third time in its past four games. Vladimir Tarasenko tallied two assists.
Logan Cooley led Utah with four shots on goal. The Mammoth had their point streak snapped at four games (3-0-1) and were shut out for the sixth time this season.
Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped all 25 shots he saw for his fourth shutout of the season and the 15th of his career.
Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka allowed five goals on 30 shots.
Kaprizov opened the scoring with 5:50 remaining in the first period. His initial attempt was stopped, but he chased down the rebound and fired a shot from one knee for the goal.
The sequence marked Kaprizov’s team-leading 37th goal of the season.
Boldy made it 2-0 with 11:17 to play in the second period. He scored on a one-timer after Marcus Johansson slid him a pass across the slot.
Early in the third period, the Wild increased their lead to 3-0. The Mammoth committed a turnover in their defensive zone, and Brink capitalized with a shot from the right circle.
Brink raised his stick with one arm to celebrate his first goal since the Wild acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers at the trade deadline. The 24-year-old Brink grew up in Minnetonka, a Twin Cities suburb about 20 miles from the Wild’s home rink.
Yurov made it 4-0 in favor of Minnesota with 13:51 left in the third period. He scored a highlight-reel goal after maneuvering around a defender and turning to his forehand for the shot.
Hartman finished the scoring with 1:21 remaining. He tapped in a rebound for his 15th goal.
