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Wild dethrone Kings, win sixth straight

Dec 9, 2011 - 6:50 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Darroll Powe finished with a goal and an assist and Matt Hackett came up with 42 saves to earn his second career win, leading the Minnesota Wild to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.

Mikko Koivu, Marco Scandella and Cody Almond each lit the lamp, while Nick Johnson contributed a pair of assists for the Wild, who have won six straight and improved to 19-7-3, good for an NHL-best 41 points.

"It was an easy night seeing the puck, and the boys are doing great clearing shots," Hackett said. "I don't care about stats, it's about the wins. I focus on what I am supposed to do and it worked out pretty well tonight."

Dustin Penner and Trent Hunter scored, while Jack Johnson added two helpers for the Kings, who have lost three consecutive games.

Jonathan Quick was tagged for all four goals on 24 shots in a losing effort.

Minnesota struck first just 24 seconds into the game when Jared Spurgeon fired a slap shot from the point that went wide of the cage, but Koivu got to it from around the left side of the net and stuffed a wrap-around attempt past Quick.

"It's a killer," Kings head coach Terry Murray said of Minnesota's quick opening goal. "You can't give up a goal on the first shift like we did. When they get a lead, they're going to protect it."

The Wild made it 2-0 just 1:25 into the second stanza when the puck was fired to the front of the net off of an offensive zone draw to the right of Quick. He made the initial save, but the puck sat in the crease among bodies before Powe saw it and poked it home.

Minnesota upped its lead to a comfortable 3-0 margin with 3:58 remaining in the second period when Matt Cullen brought the puck into the offensive zone and dished to Dany Heatley at the left point. Heatley then feathered one to the slot for Scandella, who wristed it past the Kings' netminder.

The Kings finally found the back of the net at 3:59 of the third period when Johnson fired a slap shot on goal from the right circle that was kicked out by Hackett, but it came right to Penner, who ripped it into the net from the slot to make it 3-1.

But, the Wild responded to make it 4-1 at 11:42 of the third when Almond picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, weaved to the high slot and wristed a shot that just squeezed through the legs of Quick.

Los Angeles capped the scoring at 16:32 when Johnson fired a shot from the right point that was stopped by Hackett, but Hunter was there to pounce on the rebound.

Game Notes

Kings' defenseman Willie Mitchell and center Mike Richards both missed their third consecutive game due to injury...Wild forward Kyle Brodziak was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Kings center Anze Kopitar in the second period...Heatley extended his point streak to five games...It was the fourth two-point game of Powe's career...Los Angeles' 44 shots were a season-high...The Wild have won six straight games on the road.