Just 24 hours after a convincing win against Chicago, the LA Kings put together another very impressive outing and beat the Minnesota Wild by a score of 6-0.
The Kings entered Wednesday’s contest looking to get off to a better start than they did on Tuesday. In the first 20 minutes, coach Jim Hiller’s group jumped out to a 3-0 lead and did not relinquish control for the rest of the night.
David Rittich recorded his third shutout of the season. With both Rittich and Talbot playing well, the competition in net appears to be heating up, which is always a good thing during this time of year.
In recent weeks, the Kings had received above average goaltending and defense but struggled to consistently produce offensively. The two games so far this week have been a positive sign, as the Kings scored six goals on back-to-back nights. Overall, the team has been firing on all cylinders and will look to keep this going against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Stat Sheet Takeaways: A good indicator of just how strong the offense was during the back-to-back is the fact 14 different Kings skaters registered points. LA is at their best when they can count on their depth, and this was certainly the case against Chicago and Minnesota.
33’s Instant Impact: Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup on Wednesday after a month-long absence and scored his first goal of the season in the opening frame; before adding an assist later on. In his small handful of appearances this year, the Swede has looked dynamic and been a noticeable piece of LA’s offense in those contests. A healthy Arvidsson is huge for the Kings postseason aspirations and LA hopes he continues to be impactful down the stretch.
Updated Playoff Picture: Wednesday’s favorable result was extra important for the Kings given the tightly-contested playoff race in the West. After picking up another win, LA sits four points ahead of Vegas for third place in the division; although Vegas has one game in hand. The Wild, on the other hand, remain three points back of the final Wild Card spot. It’s important for LA to keep picking up points where they can, especially with Nashville continuing to win at an incredible rate.
Another Kopitar Milestone: Notching a primary assist on Kevin Fiala’s goal in the first period meant Anže Kopitar became the 52nd player in NHL history to record 1,200 points. It’s been a season of impressive accomplishments for Kopitar; reaching 400 goals and becoming LA’s all-time leader in games-played earlier in the year. Kopitar scored a goal of his own late in the middle frame, as well.
Another milestone for @AnzeKopitar!
Congratulations on 1,200 career points, Kopi! pic.twitter.com/QXnQCE8RYG
— NHL (@NHL) March 21, 2024
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