• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Kopitar, Cammalleri help Kings solve Backstrom, end skid

Oct 17, 2007 - 6:09 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Wild had been extremely stingy over their first five games this season. That fact did not faze the Los Angeles Kings.

Anze Kopitar capped a three-goal output in regulation and Michael Cammalleri netted the deciding goal in the shootout as the Kings halted a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 triumph over the Wild on Tuesday.

Scott Thornton and Kyle Calder also tallied for Los Angeles, which had not won since a season-opening 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in London, England on September 29.

"It was a satisfying win," Cammalleri said. "We really needed that game, and to do it against them was awesome because of how well they've been playing. It's kind of a cliche in sports, but when you take the first-place team and put it against a struggling team, often the struggling team wins. You're always dangerous when you're desperate."

Mikko Koivu and Brian Rolston each had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who fell to 5-0-1 this campaign. The setback prevented Minnesota from matching its franchise-best start of 6-0-0 last season.

After failing to cash in on a pair of power-play opportunities in overtime, the Kings were unstoppable in the shootout, scoring on all three of their attempts against an almost invincible Niklas Backstrom, who had allowed two goals or fewer in his previous 16 regular-season contests.

Dustin Brown beat the 2007 goals-against average and save percentage leader high to the glove side with a wrist shot on Los Angeles' first opportunity, and Cammalleri also put a wrister past the Finnish netminder in the second round. Kopitar sealed the win when he slid the puck around the fallen Backstrom with one hand.

"It was a good move," admitted Backstrom, who slipped to 25-1-3 lifetime when leading at any point in a game. "I think I was pretty close to getting it, but it was a great move."

"It felt good to break through like this, against the top team in the league," Kopitar said. "We played hard as a team and didn't give up."

Making his first appearance of the season, Jean-Sebastien Aubin made a big glove save on Pavol Demitra on Minnesota's second attempt to set the stage for Kopitar.

"I just saw him go really wide and I made sure I wasn't going to give first," Aubin said. "I was in the right place and was able to make the save. We had some great shooters who took care of the rest."

Entering with a shutout streak of 102 minutes, 52 seconds, the Wild grabbed the lead at 7:25 of the first period. Marian Gaborik unleashed a wrist shot from the high slot that was stopped by Aubin, but Demitra was on the doorstep to slip the rebound past the goaltender for a 1-0 edge.

Minnesota proved fallible late in the session as Los Angeles ended the shutout stretch at 122:24. From below the left faceoff circle, Brian Willsie made a backhand pass to Thornton, who beat Backstrom to the glove side from the circle with 27 seconds remaining to knot the game.

Thornton's goal was just the second at even strength yielded by Minnesota in six games this season.

The Wild regained the lead just 43 seconds into the second following a turnover behind the net by Kings defenseman Tom Preissing. Rolston slid a one-handed pass to Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who set up Koivu in the slot for his second tally of the season.

But Los Angeles forged another tie at 7:42, as Calder deflected blue-liner Brad Stuart's one-timer from above the left circle past Backstrom for a power-play goal.

"We did some simple things right in the scheme of the game," said Cammalleri, who was held without a goal for just the second time in seven games this season. "We were extremely disciplined and worked short and hard (shifts). That was one of the keys for us."

Minnesota had a great chance to snap the deadlock with 3:36 left, but Eric Belanger fired the puck right into the glove of Aubin with a wide-open left side of the net at which to shoot.

The Kings accomplished a feat five other teams were unable to this season 6 1/2 minutes into the third. After a turnover by Demitra during a power play for Minnesota, Kopitar fired a wrister from the left faceoff dot between the pads of Backstrom for a shorthanded goal, marking the first time the Wild surrendered more than two tallies in a game this season.

However, it did not end the Wild's pursuit for another victory, as Rolston blasted a shot from high in the right circle that found its way between Aubin's body and left arm eight minutes into the third, forging a 3-3 tie.

"We got a big point," Belanger said. "We took a lot of penalties, but we battled and we deserved the point we got tonight. They played hard also. It was a good game."

Backstrom, who dropped to 14-0-2 in his last 16 decisions, made 26 saves for the Wild. Aubin, who was playing in his 200th career NHL game, stopped 28 shots for Los Angeles.