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Kings chase Harding, beat Wild

Nov 13, 2011 - 7:02 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Alec Martinez, Dustin Brown, Simon Gagne and Matt Greene each scored in a four-goal second period that the Los Angeles Kings used to take a 5-2 decision over the Minnesota Wild.

Colin Fraser also scored while Jonathan Quick made 24 saves for the Kings, winners in two of their last three games.

"I really liked the focus coming into the game tonight," Kings head coach Terry Murray said. "The players came out right away with the kind of intensity and attitude of moving their feet, getting pucks going north and recovering pucks."

Cal Clutterbuck and Darroll Powe notched the goals for Minnesota, which dropped its second straight game.

Josh Harding started in net for the Wild but was pulled in the second after allowing four goals on 21 shots. Niklas Backstrom made 14 saves in relief.

Fraser opened the scoring at the 2:49 mark of the opening period when he slapped a quick shot on a loose puck to the right of the net past Harding.

Martinez started the offensive outburst in the second period just two minutes in while on a power play. Justin Williams attempted a sweeping shot from the left of the net that was blocked by the goaltender, but the puck trickled across the goal mouth and Martinez put it home.

Brown later put back his own rebound on a four-on-four to extend the lead before Gagne carried the puck from behind the net to the slot and slid a backhander through the legs of Harding.

Greene capped the Kings' scoring at the 14:13 mark of the second with a slap shot from the top of the left circle that found the twine.

"We weren't ready to play. We got what we deserved," Wild head coach Mike Yeo said.

Clutterbuck put a halt to Quick's shutout bid less than a minute into the third when he stuffed the puck into the net while on a power play that carried over from the end of the second.

Powe's redirection of a Marek Zidlicky shot from the point with under eight minutes to go in regulation finalized the scoring.

Game Notes

The last time the Kings scored four goals in a period was on December 27, 2010 against the San Jose Sharks...Minnesota fell to 3-2-2 in its last seven road games...Los Angeles improved to 2-1-0 on a four-game homestand and will host Anaheim on Wednesday...It was Murray's 1,000th career game coached.