Boldy Giving Kaprizov and the Wild Another Option

The Minnesota Wild are rolling right now, and Matt Boldy is a big reason why. Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Flyers was a good example of a team where everybody chips in, instead of just waiting for one superstar to save the day.

Boldy had a goal and an assist, and Minnesota moved to 11-3-3. They've gone 5-0-1 in their last six and have won five straight on the road. That's a nice run, especially this early in the season.

Kirill Kaprizov is still the big name in Minnesota, no question. But Boldy is giving the Wild what every good team needs: a second forward who can really make things happen.

Everyone knows Kaprizov can take over a game. Opposing teams have to game plan around him every shift. But when there's another legit scoring threat on the ice, life gets a lot harder for the other side.

That's where Boldy comes in. The 25-year-old is way more than a sidekick at this point. He can score, set up his linemates, and be someone the Wild can lean on when a game is tight.

Against the Flyers, he got things started early, opening the scoring with a shot from the high slot that beat Dan Vladar for his seventh goal of the year. Early in the second, his shot was stopped, but Joel Eriksson Ek was parked right there to bang in the rebound and make it 3-0.

Those are the plays that matter. Boldy wasn't just cashing in on someone else's work. He was helping create the offence himself.

On Tuesday, Eriksson Ek and Michael McCarron both scored, and Danila Yurov added an empty-netter late in the third. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 23 shots in net to lock it down. That's a nice spread.

You can get away with leaning on your top guys for a while, but it gets tough as the season goes on. Teams adjust, good chances dry up, and the schedule wears everyone down. Having Boldy producing alongside Kaprizov gives Minnesota another way to win, and it means opponents can't focus on one guy.

Of course, it's still early. There are going to be rougher patches, and keeping up this pace won't be easy.

Things Are Starting to Work Well for the Wild

For Wild fans, that's an encouraging sign. Nobody expects Minnesota to win every night, but having Boldy producing gives the team another player opponents have to worry about. And when the playoffs eventually come around, having more than one player who can change a game could make all the difference. That's something worth watching as this season unfolds.

Right now, there's a lot to like about how the Wild are stringing these wins together. Boldy's turning into a dependable offensive weapon, and the rest of the lineup is chipping in too.

If that keeps up, this team might have a lot more going for it than just one outstanding star.