Minnesota built a three-goal, first-period cushion on the power play, squandered it late, then pulled out a 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday in St. Paul.
Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy extended their point streaks to three games. Each has three goals and four assists through Minnesota’s 2-1-0 start. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 31 shots in his season debut.
Power Play Dominance
The Wild struck three times with the man advantage in the opening period. Jared Spurgeon opened the scoring at 14:04, Kaprizov doubled the lead on a 5-on-3 at 16:13, and Boldy added another 20 seconds later on the remaining power play. The Kaprizov and Boldy goals, 20 seconds apart, were the third-fastest set of power-play goals in franchise history. Minnesota’s last seven goals have all come on the power play, including four in a loss to Columbus on Saturday.
Los Angeles rallied in the third. Kevin Fiala banked in a rebound at 3:53, Quinton Byfield cut it to one with a power-play shot from the high slot at 6:22, and Adrian Kempe tied the game with 46 seconds left, finishing a rebound with an extra attacker on the ice.
Overtime ended scoreless after the Wild killed a 4-on-3 Kings power play for the final 1:25. Marco Rossi scored the only goal of the shootout in the fourth round to seal the Minnesota win.
Kempe and Byfield each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (1-2-1). Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves. Anze Kopitar extended his season-opening assist streak to four games, becoming the fourth NHL player age 38 or older to start a season with an assist streak of at least four games, joining Larry Robinson (six games in 1989-90), Teppo Numminen (four in 2008-09), and Jean Beliveau (four in 1970-71).