LOS ANGELES – Changes were everywhere.
Crowd noise was piped in, the pregame hoopla was scaled back and both benches were scrubbed down at intermission — all adjustments the NHL has made from the last regular season to resurrect itself in individual arenas during the middle of a pandemic for a shortened, 56-game schedule.
The Wild lineup was different, too, the brainchild of General Manager Bill Guerin's offseason maneuvering.
And one of the most significant additions to the roster made an immediate impact.
Rookie Kirill Kaprizov was sensational in his NHL debut, scoring on a breakaway in overtime to cap off a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Kings on Thursday night at Staples Center that also included a pair of assists for the Russian winger.
"He works so hard, and so he's very deserving of everything that came his way tonight," Wild defenseman Matt Dumba said. "Yeah, he's something else."
After scooping up an errant pass, Kaprizov skated in alone on goalie Jonathan Quick and slipped the puck into the net at 3 minutes, 47 seconds — a grin spreading across his face as teammates mobbed him in celebration.
"You have no fear as a staff to put somebody on the ice that's special like that," said coach Dean Evason, who played Kaprizov the most of any forward (21:52). "It makes it a very easy decision."