Final
Kings return home, beat Wild
Feb 25, 2011 - 7:10 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Drew Doughty scored the game-winner early in the third period, as the Los Angeles Kings returned home with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild.Wayne Simmonds tallied a pair of goals for the Kings, who were coming off a 10-game road trip that resulted in a 6-1-3 record. Thursday's game was Los Angeles' first at Staples Center since January 26.
Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who got 25 saves from Jonathan Bernier.
"We know that this is a critical time now in the schedule for us," Kings head coach Terry Murray said. "We've got some home games, we're in a tight race to get into the playoffs, and the opportunity is there for us. We can control our own destiny I think with a strong homestand so Colorado is a game where we need to make sure we're focused and doing the right things."
Brent Burns tallied a goal and an assist for the Wild, who have lost two of three. Eric Nystrom also lit the lamp for Minnesota, which got 26 saves from Niklas Backstrom.
With the score tied 2-2 in the third, Doughty collected his ninth goal of the season at the 4:39 mark. Ryan Smyth carried the puck down the left side of the ice and dropped it off for a trailing Dustin Brown at the top of the circle. Brown then slid a cross-ice pass to Doughty, who completed the play with a wrister.
Kopitar added an empty-net goal with 1:14 remaining to seal the victory.
"The guys played hard all the way to the end," Wild head coach Todd Richards said. "It was a pretty intense, pretty physical game. I'm proud of the way the guys battled. It wasn't an easy game and we stuck with it all the way to the end, we just came up a little short."
The Kings drew first blood at the 13:25 mark of the first period. Simmonds fired a wrister from the top of the slot past Backstrom to make it 1-0.
Nystrom tied the game at the 4:03 mark of the second. While falling to the ice with just one hand on his stick, Nystrom somehow managed to slide the puck past Bernier.
Simmonds scored his second goal of the contest at the 10:18 mark. Kopitar slid a pass to Simmonds, whose wrister from the right circle beat Backstrom for a 2-1 lead.
But Burns tied the game with 4.5 seconds left in the middle stanza. A left faceoff draw resulted in Burns' wrister.
Game Notes
The Kings and Wild split four meetings this season...Minnesota was without defenseman Cam Barker (upper body) and forward Kyle Brodziak (illness)...The Kings are now 10-1-3 in their last 14 games...Simmonds had his second career multi-goal game...Doughty had his third game-winning goal of the season.
- MINNESOTA: 2
LOS ANGELES: 4
Final
Feb 25 1:18 AM - Los Angeles Short-Handed Empty Net Goal - Anze Kopitar (19), at 18:46.
Wild 2, Kings 4 3rd - 1:14Feb 25 1:15 AM - Los Angeles Goal - Drew Doughty (9), from Dustin Brown at 4:39.
Wild 2, Kings 3 3rd - 15:21Feb 25 12:46 AM - MINNESOTA: 2
LOS ANGELES: 2
End of 2nd
Feb 25 12:23 AM - MINNESOTA: 0
LOS ANGELES: 1
End of 1st
Feb 24 11:29 PM - MINNESOTA: 0
LOS ANGELES: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Feb 24 10:50 PM
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