Down two forwards, including their captain, the Kings didn't fold; they found another specialty to survive another home thriller and sweep this two-game mini series against Minnesota.
The Los Angeles Kings (18-14-9) delivered a resilient performance Tuesday night, defeating the Minnesota Wild (25-11-8) 4-2 despite losing captain Anze Kopitar and forward Joel Armia to injuries and playing large stretches of the game with a depleted lineup.
Led by Andrei Kuzmenko's sensational performance stepping up when called upon with a depleted team, and by a strong second period, the Kings found a way to close out a physical, fast-paced game that tested their depth and composure.
"Without Question" the gutiest win of the year, "head coach Jim Hiller said." Starting to gain a little traction off back-to-back wins over top-tier teams."
A Physical Opening
The first period started with both teams trading chances and hits. Minnesota controlled early faceoffs and maintained pressure throughout most of the game. But Kuemper had another game where he really showed the Kings how much they missed him and what he brings to this team, stopping all 10 Wild shots in the opening frame.
Los Angeles countered with sustained zone time and solid blocked shots by Brandt Clarke and Mikey Anderson, as neither team broke through intermission. The tone of the first period was set early, heavy contact, strong pressure, and goaltenders refusing to blink.
Kings Strike Through Adversity
The game tilted to the Kings' favor during a pivotal second period, even when adversity hit Los Angeles. Kopitar exited with a lower-body injury, and Armia was lost earlier, leaving Los Angeles down to 10 forwards. The status is still unclear to when both will return, but it should help the other Kings players step up with more opportunities in their absence.
Kings' Kopitar And Armia Leave Game With Injuries
The Los Angeles Kings are two forwards short, as center Anze Kopitar and right winger Joel Armia exited their game against the Minnesota Wild early.
Instead of letting the game slip away due to injuries, the Kings surged.
Warren Foegel got things started for Los Angeles late in the second, blasting a shot through traffic after strong forechecking pressure. Less than two minutes later, it was the Kuzmenko show.
After dancing through the neutral zone, Kuzmenko found Kevin Fiala on the back door for a nice highlight-reel finish, doubling the Kings' lead. Los Angeles was outworking Minnesota for long stretches of the second period, despite being shorthanded.
Minnesota Pushes
Minnesota finally broke through their first goal coming midway through the third period when defenseman Jared Spurgeon blasted a long-range slap shot past Kuemper to cut the deficit to a one-goal game.
Each time it looked like the Wild would gain momentum to steal this game, the Kings would find a way to close the deal. Kuzmenko responded just a few minutes later, scoring his eighth goal of the season to restore a two-goal cushion for Los Angeles.
Kuemper was also a big help tonight defensively, stopping the Wild's many chances of tying this game, finishing with 32 saves on the night, including several stops during penalty kills and late-game situations.
Adrian Kempe Seals It
Adrian Kempe put the game away with just under a minute left to go in the match, sprinting past the Wild's defenders down the ice to score on the empty netter.
Los Angeles finished with 33 shots, won the special teams battle despite going 0/1 on the power play, and the Wild were worse, finishing 1/6 on the night. But the credit goes to Los Angeles not falling apart late and outlasting Minnesota physically despite being shorthanded for most of the night.
On a night that demanded more grit, the Kings proved they could win in that area against a very solid Wild team, and Kuzmenko gave fans a show they won't forget.
Next up, Los Angeles will look to win their third straight game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 10:30 p.m. EST.
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