Wild Score Three Late Goals To Pull Away From Capitals 5-1

The Minnesota Wild scored twice in the opening six minutes and added three goals late to beat the Washington Capitals 5-1 on Sunday.

Quinn Hughes and Michael McCarron gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead 5:27 into the game. Washington cut the deficit in half when Justin Sourdif scored late in the second period, but the Wild protected their advantage through most of the third.

Minnesota then pulled away in the final minutes. Maxim Shabanov scored on the power play with 2:23 remaining. Kirill Kaprizov added an empty-net goal for the 500th point of his NHL career and his league-leading 15th goal of the season. Danila Yurov completed the scoring.

Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of 27 shots for Minnesota. The Wild’s quick start forced Washington to chase the game, and their late goals turned a close contest into a four-goal result.

The loss ended the Capitals’ winning streak. Minnesota’s victory came after it established an early two-goal cushion and then kept Washington from producing an equalizer after Sourdif’s goal.

Kaprizov’s milestone came in his 446th career game. His empty-netter gave the Wild breathing room before Yurov scored the final goal.

Sources: - Reuters, “Wild’s Fast Start Snaps Capitals’ Streak,” Nov. 1, 2026 - Associated Press via The Washington Post, “Wild Score Three Late Goals to Pull Away From Capitals 5-1,” Nov. 1, 2026