ST. PAUL, Minn. — There was a tense moment after the Minnesota Wild’s season finale Wednesday night when Kirill Kaprizov was asked about having no shots on goal in an elimination game.He reacted tersely, like he didn’t understand the question.But two days later, after his exit news conference with reporters, he explained to the reporter who asked the question that he truly didn’t understand the question because it was surprising to him to be told he had no shots on goal in the season-ending loss to the Colorado Avalanche.Kaprizov ran into Mats Zuccarello during the conversation with the reporter, then laughed, saying that he and Zuccarello even watched the game over again Thursday “and I had shots. Don’t believe the stats.”In today’s day and age, shots are no longer recorded solely from hundreds of feet away by off-ice officials in the press box. It’s done via video and the NHL’s EDGE puck and player tracking technology, plus audited in real time by a third party. That’s why you’ll often see shots added or subtracted throughout and immediately after games. So, according to the computerized protractors or whatever they use, Kaprizov had four shots that were either blocked or just missed the net.Regardless, the whole sequence was a reminder of just how much focus will be on Kaprizov in the years ahead as his brand-new eight-year, $136 million contract kicks in with an $18.1 million signing bonus on July 1. That comes with the territory when you sign the richest deal in NHL history at $17 million AAV, resetting the superstar market despite the fact that players like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor and others signed for significantly less in the days after.The reality is Kaprizov was one of the better players in that season-ending defeat, playing great defensively, blocking shots and creating chances. And when the game turned in the last 3 ½ minutes with two goals against as the Avs forced overtime, Kaprizov had a view of the mistakes made by a handful of veterans from the bench.Zuccarello says the pressure is always there for every athlete, especially Kaprizov.“Doesn’t matter what you make,” Zuccarello said. “It’s not his fault that he’s a good player and he’s making whatever he’s making. He’s been a big part of this team. You guys have been around, see how special a player he is, and hopefully you’re gonna get more of the same. And hopefully he just comes in with a smile on his face — that’s when he plays the best, and don’t think about all the outside noise.“Even if you’re top player like he is, you’re still gonna have some games — it’s a long season, you know, 82 (games), next year 84 — (where) you go through spells where your body feels not quite there, and everyone says, ‘Whoa, what happened?’ … I think the top players, they don’t get that as often that the rest of us does. But that’s just a human; it’s hard to be on top every game. It could be life situations that happen at home, whatever, and still, they’re trying to do the best for the team. So I just think for him to not think about everything around (the contract). He’s an emotional guy. Just think about having fun, that’s when you play the best, and that’s the most important thing for him. Just keep doing what he’s doing.”One of the best moves Paul Fenton made during his 14 months as Minnesota’s GM was signing Zuccarello, ironic since Fenton was fired less than a month later and never sat in the big chair to watch Zuccarello play a single game for the Wild.Besides the fact he’s been a great player on the ice — fourth all-time in Wild history with 271 assists, sixth with 389 points, second with .6 assists per game and fifth with .86 points per game — who knew he would become such a positive influence for Kaprizov a season later once Kaprizov debuted?Beyond the chemistry the two have on the ice, it’s Zuccarello who often keeps Kaprizov level-headed. It’s Zuccarello who helped Kaprizov transition so well off the ice coming over from Russia when at the time the Wild didn’t have a single Russian player on the team.Nobody, Zuccarello says, puts more pressure on himself than Kaprizov, who is proud to be part of a core that includes Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber and Joel Eriksson Ek.“Most of the players are like that, that you expect the most from yourself,” Zuccarello said. “Especially me or older guys. I know when I’m playing bad. I like that you guys remind me and stuff, but … we know when we’re not playing our best. That’s when you’re the hardest on yourself. Then you guys know the world right now — everyone has access to you. Even the pressure you put on yourself and then imagine these younger guys … what they take from everything else. So, that’s a lot to bear at times. Even though we’re professional athletes and we’re paid well to do what we do, and we love what we do, we’re still human beings with feelings.“Stuff can get to you. … Luckily, I’m old. Even at my age, if you see something, you’re like, ‘F— that guy.’ … It affects you. We’re humans. You can read 100 good comments about yourself and like I’ve told you (before), there’s one that someone doesn’t, that’s the one that bothers you instead of focusing on the other ones. I think that’s important in general, just to enjoy. We know we got a big responsibility to Minnesota. We love it here. It’s the State of Hockey. We would love to win a championship here. That’s the goal of everyone, and we know the pressure that comes with it and we embrace that. But at the same time, we are human beings.”Kaprizov doesn’t think there will be great pressure on himself with the new big ticket.He is excited that he’s signed, however, after an entire offseason last year where he couldn’t escape constant chatter from the outside about whether he would or would not sign an extension.“It’s nice when people don’t ask you all summer about what you think you have to do and all this stuff,” he said, smiling. “Just I can just be focused on myself this summer and keep practicing and come back here in September and stay positive and keep playing my best game.”The person, coincidentally, who will have to endure all the questions about his future is Zuccarello, a pending free agent. He’ll be 39 at the start of next season, but after not committing to wanting to play past this year all season, Zuccarello says now he wants to play a year or two more. Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin told The Athletic last week the Wild have interest in re-signing Zuccarello: “We’ll take care of that in the offseason.”Obviously, the contract would have to make sense — whether it’s a one- or two-year deal at likely less money than his expiring $4.125 million a year deal or a bonus-laden 35-year-old-plus contract.Asked kiddingly if he has told Kaprizov he didn’t leave much money for him, Zuccarello joked, “Well, he gives me cash. … Kirill’s earned every dollar he gets, and I’m super happy for him and the city to get him and to have him for the next eight years. He’s a special, special player, and there’s a lot of special players here — Bolds, Faber, Hughes, … Zuccarello. No, it’s exciting for the future.”Zuccarello — aka Mr. Sarcasm — also joked that he “better sign before (extension-eligible Hughes) takes the rest of it. There’s going to be nothing left for me then.”Kaprizov badly wants Zuccarello back, and that alone should cinch his eventual re-signing. Let’s be honest: It has been a successful seven years for Zuccarello in Minnesota.“I don’t even know how many years, if it’s 15 or 16 or whatever I’ve played, and I played seven of them here, and I would say hockey-wise this is probably my six best years in hockey in terms of how you feel playing-wise,” Zuccarello said. “That also comes a little bit with age. You’re getting more comfortable with (Minnesota) and stuff like that, but it also comes with playing with a player that kind of knows where I want him to be, and he also knows where I’m going to be. You gotta give credit also to (Ryan Hartman) and some of the guys that have been playing in the middle there and done a really good job as well.“But obviously there’s no secret that we have a good relationship on and off the ice, and that of course has a big part in it for sure.”Kaprizov was obviously disappointed by the ending of the season, but the Wild’s all-time leading goal scorer with 230 in just six seasons (two pandemic-shortened) feels the team made a big step this season and will only continue to grow and become a Stanley Cup contender.“I think we have really good year, like in the season,” Kaprizov said. “Playoffs, we play good and I think first round we play really good against really good team. Second round, too. It’s always you want to be champion and win. Everyone know this. It was good series and it’s just feel this year, it’s like not something done, you know? Think team played really good hockey this year. Everyone just feeling this year something different, not just we play season and then like, ‘OK, maybe we win. Maybe not.’ Everyone was so excited and believe so much we can beat everyone. But obviously it’s not what we wanted losing in the second round.”