Mats Zuccarello’s power-play goal with 4:38 left in the final period allowed the Minnesota Wild to snap the Los Angeles Kings’ five-game winning streak in a 3-1 come-from-behind victory Monday at St. Paul, Minn.
Ryan Hartman scored the other goal for the Wild, who had lost four of their last five, and assisted on Zuccarello’s game-winner. Marcus Johansson added an empty-netter in the final minute, and Jared Spurgeon notched two assists in the win. Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves in the victory.
Adrian Kempe scored for Los Angeles, with assists from Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves as he saw his four-game winning streak end.
Both teams relied on the power play to get on the board, and neither team needed much time with the man advantage.
Zuccarello’s 16th goal of the season came just 34 seconds after Trevor Moore was called for a tripping penalty. He scored from the left faceoff circle, beating Keumper on the shortside.
Kempe put the Kings on top at 15:01 in the opening period, just 17 seconds after Marco Rossi went to the box for slashing Fiala. On the power play, Fiala found a seam through the Wild’s penalty kill unit to feed an open Kempe for his team-best 28th goal of the season.
The power-play goal was just the fourth for the Kings in their last 11 games. However, Los Angeles, which had converted just three of its last 23 opportunities, would squander their next three power plays.
Los Angeles had a couple opportunities to double its lead. Alex Laferriere had four chances in a nine-second span seven minutes after Kempe’s score. Gustavsson stopped three, and Jon Merrill swept the puck off the goal line on the other.
Warren Foegele thought he had scored in the first minute of the second period, but officials immediately waived it off ruling Brandt Clarke took Gustavsson out of the crease.
Hartman tied the game with 18:09 left in the second period, just four seconds after Doughty went off for cross-checking. Hartman won the ensuing faceoff with the puck going back to Spurgeon, whose shot was deflected by the forward.
–Field Level Media
Two-time Super Bowl champion Brandon Graham announced his retirement Tuesday after a franchise-record 206 regular-season games over 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 36-year-old defensive end became a Philadelphia…
PGA Tour members are voting now through April 14 to elect two co-chairmen for the Player Advisory Council. Rickie Fowler, Maverick McNealy and Keith Mitchell were announced as candidates Tuesday,…
The Minnesota Vikings and cornerback Jeff Okudah, a former first-round pick, agreed to a one-year contract on Tuesday. That’s according to agent Kevin Conner, the CEO of Universal Sports and…
PGA Tour members voting for PAC co-chairmen
Report: Vikings, CB Jeff Okudah agree to 1-year deal
Dodgers star Mookie Betts to own World Bowling League franchise
Predators, Penguins to play in Sweden next season