Kirill Kaprizov scores twice, Wild beat Vegas 5-2 to take 2-1 series lead

Wild players react after 5-2 Game 3 win over Vegas

Wild players Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov, Filip Gustavsson, Jared Spurgeon, Ryan Hartman and Brock Faber react after a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Playoff series Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild now has a 2-1 lead in the series, with Game 4 set for Saturday in St. Paul.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Wild has a 2-1 lead over the Vegas Golden Knights after a 5-2 win in Game 3 Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center.

Kirill Kaprizov scored a pair of goals for the second straight game. Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist. Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves in net,

Kaprizov beats buzzer

The big play:

With the Wild up 3-2 in the final minute of the second period, Ryan Hartman gathered the puck along the half wall, looked up to see how much time was on the clock and rifled a pass to Kaprizov. He tipped it in with 1.3 seconds left in the period to give the Wild a 4-1 lead at the second intermission.

Fans step up at Xcel Energy Center

What they're saying:

Wild players spoke in the locker room after the win about the incredible atmosphere created by fans at Xcel Energy Center. Goalie Filip Gustavsson said nobody on the ice could hear anything late in regulation because the fans were so loud.

"It’s just screaming from the crowd," Gustavsson said.

"The fans were great tonight," winger Ryan Hartman said.

Game 4 Saturday in St. Paul

What's next:

The Wild now has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoff series. Game 4 is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Xcel Energy Center, and with a win, the Wild can take a 3-1 lead and put the Golden Knights on the brink of elimination. The game will be broadcast on TBS.

The Wild is in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 11th time in 13 seasons. Minnesota is seeking its first playoff series win since the 2014-15 season.