Wild downplay revenge factor ahead of rematch with Bruins

When the Wild played at Boston back in January, Bruins players – notably Trent Frederic – took some shots at Wild players. Ahead of Wednesday’s rematch in St Paul, players insist avenging anything in the past won’t be front-of-mind.

Click the video box on this page to watch Kirill Kaprizov, Marcus Foligno and head coach Dean Evason’s chat with media on Tuesday, March 15 discussing Wednesday’s game against Boston, recent woes on special teams and Kirill Kaprizov’s emerging leadership and pursuit of the franchise’s single-season scoring records

During the second period of January’s game in Boston, an already physical game went up a level. Frederic ignored the puck, and hit Kaprizov when he was already off balance. Kaprizov was injured on the play and, thanks to a schedule lightened by Covid-19 postponements, missed only one game.

Kaprizov and Marcus Foligno insisted after Tuesday’s practice the incident is in the past, and they don’t expect anything to carry over in Wednesday’s game against the Bruins in St. Paul.

Foligno fought Frederic later in the game after Kaprizov was injured.

Marcus Foligno gives a beatdown to Trent Frederic. pic.twitter.com/ITKs40waUi

— Hockey Wilderness (@hockeywildernes) January 7, 2022

Following the January game, Dean Evason was furious about the hit.

“Really frustrated with how Kirill got hurt,” Evason said following the January 6th meeting. “I mean, it’s a predatory hit, it’s one that the league – I mean – we don’t want that, right? The puck is sitting right there. You know what he’s doing. He’s going to hurt our best player. There’s no question that there is no intention. That is not a hockey play. The puck’s sitting right there, all he has to do is take the puck and go. (Kaprizov was) in a vulnerable position, you hit a player from behind. We see it all the time and it gets taken care of. I hope it gets taken care of here.”

Frederic was not suspended.

The Wild host Boston Wednesday night.