Sports

/

ArcaMax

Mats Zuccarello's power-play goal sends Wild past Kings for much-needed 3-1 victory

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on

Published in Hockey

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The stingy Los Angeles Kings and their almost unbeatable goaltender didn’t fare as expected against an ice-cold Minnesota Wild offense.

After ending Darcy Kuemper’s shutout streak, the Wild rallied 3-1 past Los Angeles on Monday night at Xcel Energy Center for their second victory in their past six games.

Mats Zuccarello broke a 1-1 tie with 4 minutes, 38 seconds to go in the third period, converting on the power play to halt the Kings’ five-game win streak.

Marcus Johansson added an empty-netter with 56 seconds left, the first time in six games the Wild have exceeded two goals.

Kuemper, the one-time Wild netminder and NHL’s reigning first star of the week, finished with 19 saves and this was the first time in five consecutive starts he had surrendered more than a goal. The Wild’s Filip Gustavsson, in his fourth consecutive game, made 28 stops.

Gustavsson and the Wild were behind early, with a one-timer from Los Angeles’ Adrian Kempe sailing in at 4:59 of the first period on the power play after an iffy slashing penalty against Marco Rossi. Former Wild forward Kevin Fiala had the setup, the assist was his 11th point in nine games vs. the Wild since the team traded him to the Kings for Brock Faber and a first-round draft pick the Wild used to select Liam Ohgren.

Los Angeles would have doubled their lead later in the period if not for Jon Merrill.

The Wild defenseman made a stick save against Alex Laferriere, intercepting Laferriere’s shot after Gustavsson slid out of position during the second of two stops against Laferriere.

Gustavsson was bumped out of his crease by the Kings’ Brandt Clarke during the first minute of the second period before Warren Foegele buried the puck into the Wild net, but the goal was immediately waved off due to goaltender interference.

Soon after, Los Angeles took a cross-checking penalty, and the Wild took advantage during the power play: Ryan Hartman won the faceoff back to captain Jared Spurgeon before tipping in Spurgeon’s point shot at 1:51. The Wild power play went 2 for 3, while the Kings were 1-for-4.

 

Hartman’s goal was the first given up by Kuemper.

But Kuemper was airtight the rest of the second.

Mind you, he wasn’t tested much.

Instead, Los Angeles controlled the puck until the Wild upped their pressure in the third. That eventually snapped the stalemate, with Zuccarello’s game-winner denying the Kings of a promotion into second place in the Pacific Division. Zuccarello wristed in his 16th goal of the season and 100th with the Wild, while Hartman picked up his second assist of the night on the play for his 300th career point. Spurgeon also had two points after also assisting on Johansson’s empty-netter.

As for the Wild, they are still in the first wild-card position in the Western Conference playoff race, with an eight-point cushion.

During this goaltending duel between Gustavsson and Kuemper, the Wild were down another key forward.

Marcus Foligno didn’t play due to an upper-body injury, with Brendan Gaunce subbing in on the fourth line. Their defense stayed the same, but Jonas Brodin continues to skate and is now considered day-to-day. Brodin has missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury. Forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, who are also recovering from lower-body injuries, are progressing off the ice, coach John Hynes said.

The Wild have two games to go on their season-long, seven-game homestand, beginning Wednesday vs. the Kraken.

____


©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments