After putting on a show Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings and visiting Minnesota Wild will attempt to revisit the madness when they play for the second time in three days on Monday at Los Angeles.
The Wild extended their points streak to six consecutive games but the Kings earned the ultimate reward with a 5-4 shootout victory over Minnesota on Saturday.
It was the second time the teams played into a shootout, with the Wild winning 4-3 at home on Oct. 13.
Minnesota’s resilience was on full display after trailing four different times before forcing overtime when Matt Boldy scored a goal with just less than three minutes remaining in regulation to secure the point.
Boldy also scored in the shootout but Vladimir Tarasenko’s shot to extend the drama was wide as the Kings won for just the third time in 11 games (3-6-2). Jacob Middleton, Joel Eriksson Ek and Brock Faber also scored in regulation, while Faber added an assist.
Middleton’s first-period score ended a 35-game streak without a goal to start the season. Boldy has 26 goals, second in the NHL heading into Sunday’s play.
Minnesota trailed 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 but never relented.
“I liked our competitiveness,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I liked the resilience that we battled back, but I think we can put together a little better game next time we play them.”
That opportunity will come quickly.
The last five games of Minnesota’s points streak have come on the road, with its seven-game travel adventure set to end Thursday at Seattle. The single point from the shootout loss Saturday came after a 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
“I thought we could have played better,” Faber said. “With that quick turnaround, we’ll take the point. Now we need two (points) in the next.”
There are no what-ifs for the Kings, who held back the red-hot Wild to end a two-game losing streak after also dropping four of their past five games. There is now a sense of optimism for a team that is 7-9-5 since Nov. 17.
Adrian Kempe, Corey Perry, Quinton Byfield and Samuel Helenius all scored goals for the Kings on Saturday. Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves, then stepped up in the shootout.
Anze Kopitar had an assist, the 853rd of his career, to move him into a tie for 27th all-time with Evgeni Malkin.
Perry’s goal came when a Byfield shot deflected off his wrist while on a power play. Byfield was credited with his own goal when the puck went across the line off a Wild stick. It was the kind of good fortune Los Angeles has been looking for.
“Even when the (Wild’s fourth goal) went in to tie it, which obviously nobody liked, I thought we were calm and confident, as calm and confident as we’ve been all season,” Kings head coach Jim Hiller said. “It was different for us (Saturday), which is a good sign.”
–Field Level Media
