Two points are two points, and the Kings will gladly take them right now after earning a 5-4 shootout victory over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Looking to rebound from a game they should have won two nights earlier, coach Jim Hiller’s team played with a renewed passion and commitment throughout this contest. Needing their best players to be their best players, ol’ reliable — Adrian Kemepe — opened the evening’s scoring early in the first period.
However, they didn’t hold the lead for long. Former Kings draft pick Jake Middleton found the back of the net for the first time this season, tying things at 1-1.
Most of the remaining game followed a similar path. LA would score, only to see Minnesota tie things up. In addition to back-and-forth action, there was also several weird goals, including one by Quinton Byfield and one later in the third period where Alex Turcotte earned an assist for setting up a goal by Sammy Helenius, yet Turcotte was already back on the bench by the time the puck made its way past Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt.
When overtime wasn’t enough to decide things, the clubs headed to a shootout — a familiar place for the Kings this season. Coach Jim Hiller mixed it up a bit this time around, turning to Brandt Clarke as his fourth shooter, and the young defenseman came through. He continues to earn the trust and confidence of the coaching staff and his teammates.
With the victory, LA moved to within three points of first place Vegas, with two games in hand on the Golden Knights.
Full game highlights can be viewed here:
Pregame notes and lineups can be found in the article linked below.
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