The Wild had their best player back for the first time in a month, but they didn’t play like it.

Kirill Kaprizov’s return was spoiled by a 4-0 shellacking from Utah Hockey Club Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center that continued the Wild’s woes at home.

This was the third consecutive game they’ve dropped in St. Paul. Overall, the Wild have won just once in their last five.

Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 26 shots for his first shutout of the season, thwarting a Wild lineup that was as close to full strength as the team has been in more than two months.

Aside from Kaprizov, who was back after missing 12 games because of a lower-body injury, captain Jared Spurgeon suited up for the first time since New Year’s Eve and skated in his 900th career game. The defenseman hurt his ankle and knee after getting slew-footed into the boards on New Year’s Eve by Nashville’s Zachary L’Heureux, who was suspended for three games and reached out to Spurgeon.

After season-ending hip and back surgeries a year ago, Spurgeon was out again in October to continue to heal but was a stabilizing presence on the blue line in his return.

“That was the most frustrating part,” Spurgeon said, “that last year you go through all that stuff and work your way back and feel healthy again, and all of a sudden something like that happens. So, I think that was the most frustrating part, just having to go back in the gym doing the same stuff all over again. It brings back some bad memories.”

The Wild were still without defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) and winger Marcus Johansson (concussion), but other than a cheer during Kaprizov’s first shift, the updated look was barely noticeable while the Wild were shut out for the second time.