The Minnesota Wild secured a narrow 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night at the Grand Casino Arena, overcoming a late surge from the visiting team. After building a comfortable 3-0 lead in the first period, the Wild found themselves on the defensive as the Kings mounted a determined comeback, eventually tying the game in the final minute of regulation.
The Wild's early dominance was fueled by their power play, which capitalized on three opportunities in the first period. Captain Jared Spurgeon initiated the scoring spree at 14:04, firing a shot from the right circle through a screen. Kirill Kaprizov extended the lead with a goal from the slot during a 5-on-3 advantage at 16:13. Just 20 seconds later, Matt Boldy added another power-play goal, tucking the puck past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Vladimir Tarasenko contributed with assists on both Kaprizov's and Boldy's goals.
Despite the Wild's strong start, the Kings refused to concede. Former Wild forward Kevin Fiala ignited the Kings' comeback at 3:53 into the third period, banking a shot off the back of Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt. Quinton Byfield further narrowed the gap with a power-play goal less than three minutes later. With time running out, Adrian Kempe scored on a rebound with just 44.4 seconds remaining in regulation, completing the Kings' rally and forcing overtime.
Neither team could find the net in overtime, leading to a tense shootout. Wallstedt, making his season debut, stood tall and denied all four Kings shooters. Marco Rossi emerged as the hero for the Wild, scoring the decisive goal in the fourth round of the shootout.
Wallstedt's performance was crucial, as he stopped 31 shots overall, including the four in the shootout. Kuemper, in contrast, saved 23 shots for the Kings. The Wild's power play proved to be a key factor in their victory, converting on 3 of their 6 opportunities.
With this win, the Wild improved their record to 2-1-0, while the Kings fell to 1-2-1. The Wild will embark on a five-game road trip, starting Tuesday in Dallas, while the Kings return home to host Pittsburgh on Thursday.
