Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishST. PAUL, Minn. — Games like Wednesday night’s are enough to make an NHL head coach dream of a tropical vacation. But as John Hynes’ eyes welled reflecting on the life and legacy of Ray Shero, the man who gave Hynes his start as a professional coach and made him an NHL head coach for the first time with the New Jersey Devils, Hynes started laughing.“I told (general manager) Billy (Guerin), after this game, we all know it wasn’t it, but (Shero) would have came down, and he would have been like, ‘That’s hockey: 8-7. Let’s go. Scoring goals — great for the fans.’ He would have loved it,” Hynes said, smiling. “That was Ray. That was Ray, so we’re certainly gonna miss him, but I think his memories will touch us forever.”Shero, Guerin’s senior advisor with the Wild and a longtime NHL executive who managed the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup in 2009, died Wednesday morning in Arizona after a brief illness at the all-too-young age of 62. The monumental loss shook the hockey world, but as Hynes said, Shero loved the sport, had an unbridled enthusiasm and would have undoubtedly lightened the mood in that stressed coach’s room after Wednesday’s 8-7 shootout victory, so to speak, over the San Jose Sharks.No chance the coaches loved the Wild’s “casual,” as Hynes called it, demeanor defensively. Albeit in a winning effort, Marc-Andre Fleury was certainly not smiling from ear to ear after allowing seven goals on 31 shots, including the tying goal in the final minute of regulation, in what was likely the final home regular-season start of his career.But the crowd of 18,675 certainly had a blast despite the shocking back-and-forth nature of a game that featured multiple ties, lead changes and 15 goals, the last being Kirill Kaprizov extending his franchise record with his 10th career overtime winner courtesy of a pass from his best bud, Mats Zuccarello.
Kirill. Kaprizov. pic.twitter.com/aBrDte2JQs
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) April 10, 2025Kaprizov hadn’t played since Jan. 26. Joel Eriksson Ek hadn’t played since Feb. 22. Yet, in their long-awaited returns, both reminded everyone just what the Wild have been missing these past several weeks.Eriksson Ek looked refreshed and healthy and returned to being a net-front menace. He never could have envisioned he’d return to register the second four-goal game in Wild history, behind Marian Gaborik’s five-goal game once upon a time against the New York Rangers. Two of his goals were power-play goals. Kaprizov also scored a power-play goal on a four-on-three beyond his overtime goal and had an assist.Eriksson Ek had eight shots, another three attempted, four hits and 13 faceoff wins. Kaprizov had nine shots and another six attempted.“They’re our two best players,” said right wing Matt Boldy, who had four assists. “If you take any team’s two best players away, that’s a huge difference. Such an impact that those guys have in every aspect of us playing well. So for them to work as hard as they did throughout these weeks they’ve been out, and then to come back and perform like that, it speaks a lot to them and their character.”There have been many dark days for Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek during their long, arduous rehab processes. Kaprizov had played three times since Christmas but had to undergo surgery in late January. Eriksson Ek said the broken bone in his leg happened over time and he couldn’t walk after a practice Feb. 24.“It was hard,” Eriksson Ek said. “Especially, I think, I’m such a competitive guy, just trying to do whatever I can to play, but this wasn’t anything that I could really make it heal any faster than it is. So, it was hard. If I’m selfish, luckily, Kirill was there, too. We could bounce and lean on each other a little bit. Makes it a little bit easier when you’re in it together.”In a game in which Macklin Celebrini scored three goals and 5 points and Will Smith had 4 points, including the overtime-forcing goal with 51 seconds left, Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov delivered over and over and counterpunched each of the Sharks’ future young stars.
el-EK-tric night pic.twitter.com/12UTQXzY8x
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 10, 2025Eriksson Ek was at the net front over and over again, scored a couple of go-ahead goals and had a natural hat trick (the third of his career). It was like he was making up for lost time. And in a season in which he hasn’t been able to heal myriad injuries, these past several weeks allowed him to heal and rest.“I mean, he only knows one way,” Hynes said. “That’s the thing with Ekky is that’s how he plays. I thought that those guys are workhorses. When they said that they’re going to be ready to play, you knew that they were going to be ready to play the way that they need to play. And that’s how Ekky plays, regardless of the situation.”Same with Kaprizov, who, despite what he said was rust and bad timing, came out with a shooting mentality and reignited his always-impressive chemistry with Zuccarello, who had three assists. It sure made up for some boring or depressing days, he said, when it felt like every time he’d take a couple of steps forward, he’d wake up the next day and take a step back.“Some days was like this, some days like this,” Kaprizov said. “It’s not easy, you know. Sometimes a little stress. Sometimes you (get) up and you feel better and you’re more happy and stuff like this. I’m just happy now to come back with the team and start playing again.”The Wild were also happy to at least deliver Fleury one final victory at home and his NHL-record 70th overtime win. He might make his final regular-season start Saturday in Vancouver, but he was hoping Wednesday would be special after his three children stood with him on the ice during the national anthem. It was a stressful game, especially for his wife and kids, who were seen crying as he departed the Xcel Energy Center ice.Fleury acknowledged it wasn’t a fun game to play, as the Sharks filled his net seven times and he gave up minus 4.2 goals saved above expected.“But what matters? Two points at the end, right?” Fleury said. “We’ll take them, that’s for sure. … I was in Pittsburgh, and Pascal Dupuis had (his kids on the ice) at the end there. So, I thought it was cool. And I think it’ll be good memories for me, for them, right? Just to be on the ice and see what it feels like to be there and having all the people around. And yeah, that was pretty cool.”But still, you could tell Fleury wasn’t in the greatest mood after the game. He’s too prideful to be overjoyed by 2 points when he let in seven.“I tried to stay composed,” he said, “and not smash my stick everywhere. … I don’t know. Everything found its way in. I think I’ll remember the national anthem and having 2 points.”
Marc-Andre Fleury’s kids skated onto the ice and joined their dad for likely the final home game start of his NHL career 🥹 pic.twitter.com/euqzOCqkGi
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 10, 2025And those 2 points were huge. Sure, Hynes said he’ll dissect the tape and address the defensive issues as a team and with some individuals, but with three games left, the Wild needed these 2 points as they try to fend off the Calgary Flames for a playoff spot.The Flames blew a 3-1 lead in the third period to lose to the Anaheim Ducks in overtime Wednesday night. That means the Wild are 5 points up on the Flames and would clinch a playoff spot Friday night with a win over Calgary. What’s more, the St. Louis Blues gave up the winning goal with 21 seconds left in regulation at the Edmonton Oilers, so the Wild moved back into the top wild-card spot because they’re tied with St. Louis with 93 points but have a game in hand.“I think it’s going to be a highly competitive environment,” Hynes said of Friday’s game. “It’s two teams that are in a heated playoff race. So I think that lends itself to, I would say, a high intensity — not a lot of time and space, just, I think, a real battle in every sense of the word.“I think the competitive nature of the game is going to be very high. I think the attention to detail and the mindset needs to be at a high level. I think both teams are probably going to bring it. It’s going to be a hard playoff style, playoff-race-right-down-to-the-end type of game.”(Photo of Joel Eriksson Ek, left, celebrating his fourth goal with Matt Boldy: Nick Wosika / Imagn Images)
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