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Kings look to snap skid against Wild

Jan 20, 2009 - 1:28 PM Los Angeles (17-20-7) at Minnesota (23-19-3), 8:00 p.m. EST

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Kings have had a lot of trouble scoring lately and now they have to deal with the top defensive team in the NHL.

Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, the Kings visit goaltender Niklas Backstrom and the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday, Los Angeles has netted just 15 goals in its last 10 games (3-6-1).

The Kings have been outscored, 15-4, in their losing streak. They trudged through a season-high, five-game slide from October 25-November 4, and will match that skid if the Wild are able to notch their fourth win in five games.

Minnesota has yielded a league-low 102 tallies this season and used a 40-save effort from Backstrom to skate to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.

The 30-year-old Backstrom has given up two goals or fewer in five of his last eight contests and has registered 40 or more saves three times this season.

Prior to that contest, the Wild had dropped eight of their last 10 games on the road.

Minnesota's Andrew Brunette played in his 498th consecutive game, the longest active streak in the NHL, despite an injured right knee.