A shorthanded Los Angeles Kings (18-14-9) that was missing center captain Anze Kopitar and forward Joel Armia for much of the game yesterday rallied to beat the Minnesota Wild (25-11-8) by multiple goals in the second of two straight games between these teams on home ice at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night (Jan. 5) early this week.
Andrei Kuzmenko impresses in a multi-goal win for the Los Angeles Kings in the third period vs. Minnesota
Jim Hiller and the Kings were very tough and gritty last night, showing resilience in a way that garnered a 4-2 win on home ice against one of the best teams in the Western Conference in the Central Division vs. the Wild. Playing with only 10 forwards on the ice yesterday, the Kings rallied to get a two-goal win on the scoreboard in a game that pushed LA with their physicality and opportunities on special teams.
Yesterday's game was a slow starter on the ice and on the scoreboard. No goals were scored in the game's first 30 minutes in the opening frames. But the Kings showed grit and resilience to fight through the injuries to Kopitar and Armia with the forward core to protect a lead in the final frame in the third period on Monday.
These two wins early this week and last weekend on Saturday night for the Kings are two of the biggest victories in the West this regular season for Hiller and staff in the standings in the Pacific Division.
Here are two studs, and one dud, from the Kings' impressive 4-2 regulation win on home ice over the Wild on Jan. 5.
Stud: Darcy Kuemper, G
Yesterday's effort was exhibit A of why Darcy Kuemper is so important to the Kings defensively this regular season in the West. Kuemper stopped all five high-danger scoring chances that the Wild had at even strength at 5-on-5 in the game's final frame in the third period for the Kings yesterday (per Natural Stat Trick) in goal.
Kuemper was clutch for the Kings in the final frame in the third period, keeping the Wild from getting closer on the scoreboard in the game's final minutes late in the contest yesterday.
"Darce, when stuff is in front of him, as long as they don’t have to go lateral, 2-on-1’s and cross-ice passes, he’s as good as there is. He’s just so big and so square. I thought what he did well tonight too, you saw four or five scrambles, he was just able to hold his hold his ground at the net, not get pushed in. They’re jamming at him, and I think that’s where the size and the strength really come into play for him. "Jim Hiller on Darcy Kuemper
Kuemper held the Wild and all of their superstar players offensively to a shutout on the scoreboard in the game's first 30 minutes in the first and second periods yesterday. He had to face double-digit high and medium-danger scoring chances in the game's first half in the opening and middle frames.
It was the second straight game on home ice that Kuemper had started vs. the Wild yesterday.