The LA Kings completed the mini sweep over the Minnesota Wild on Monday evening at Crypto.com Arena, as they skated to a 4-2 victory.
The first period lacked goals but was certainly not short on pace, as the two teams skated to a very fast opening 20. Chances came at both ends of the ice, with the fourth lines on both sides contributing with the best looks of the period.
Just over 35 minutes into the game, the Kings opened the scoring through forward Warren Foegele. A makeshift line of Foegele with forwards Samuel Helenius and Jeff Malott had a strong shift in the offensive zone, with pressure along the boards extending the possession. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin fed Foegele at the center point for a one-timer, through traffic in front, top shelf, for his sixth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Late in the middle stanza, the Kings doubled their advantage with one of their prettiest goals of the season. Forward Alex Turcotte started things out with a two-line stretch pass, springing forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Kevin Fiala 2-on-2 the other way. After a give-and-go at the blueline, Kuzmenko delayed and found Fiala driving the net for the goal, his team-leading 15th of the season, as the Kings took a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes of play.
Nearly six minutes into the third period, Minnesota pulled a goal back as defenseman Jared Spurgeon scored for the second time this season against the Kings. Stationed at the left point, Spurgeon took a pass from his defensive partner, Jonas Brodin, and his shot towards the net deflected off a Kings stick on the way through and snuck past Kuemper, high glove side, to cut the Los Angeles advantage to 2-1.
Kuzmenko restored the multi-goal lead with a terrific individual effort to make it a multi-point game. Operating on the left side, Kuzmenko shook his defenseman as he worked his way down the left-hand wall. Kuzmenko shielded the puck and drove to the net, dragging the puck across the top of the crease and burying at the far post, his ninth goal of the season, as the Kings pulled ahead 3-1.
Minnesota capitalized on its sixth power play of the game, late in the third period, to move back within a goal at 3-2. After the Kings killed the first half of a double-minor, assessed to defenseman Mikey Anderson, Wild forward Ryan Hartman scored just before the four-minute opportunity expired, bringing the visitors back within a goal.
With 1:38 on the clock, Kings forward Adrian Kempe picked the empty net to pull ahead by two goals, securing the victory.
Hear from Kuzmenko, Kuemper and Head Coach Jim Hiller after tonight’s victory.
