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Kirill Kaprizov was oozing praise for his linemate Joel Eriksson Ek, commending the Wild’s top center for handling faceoffs, playing at the front of the net and winning puck battles, before he put a lid on the compliments.

When the Vegas Golden Knights won yet another Pacific Division title and notched the second-best record in the Western Conference with 110 points, they were expected to make a strong run to lift their second Stanley Cup in three years.