Wild Edge Kings in Shootout After Blowing Three-Goal Lead
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Marco Rossi sealed the win in the fourth round of the shootout as the Minnesota Wild held off the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Monday night, despite squandering a three-goal lead in the third period.
Minnesota built a commanding 3-0 lead in the first period with power-play goals from Jared Spurgeon, Kirill Kaprizov, and Matt Boldy. But the Kings clawed their way back in the third, scoring three unanswered goals to force overtime.
Kevin Fiala got Los Angeles on the board early in the final frame, banking a rebound off the back of Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt. Just under three minutes later, Quinton Byfield added a power-play goal to cut the deficit to 3-2. With time winding down and an extra attacker on the ice, Adrian Kempe buried a rebound with 44.4 seconds left in regulation to tie the game.
Wallstedt, making his first NHL start since December 21, 2024, turned aside 31 shots in his season debut for Minnesota. Vladimir Tarasenko contributed two assists in the win.
Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves for the Kings, who once again struggled with discipline. Los Angeles was called for six penalties, bringing their total to 22 short-handed situations over just four games.
The Wild struck first when Spurgeon fired a shot through a screen from Vinnie Hinostroza at 14:04 of the opening period. Kaprizov made it 2-0 just two minutes later, converting a two-man advantage from the slot. Boldy followed up at 16:33, slipping a shot past Kuemper from below the right circle to cap off Minnesota’s first-period surge.
Minnesota continues to dominate on the power play, converting at a league-best 47.1% rate. They’ve scored eight goals on 17 opportunities, including four in Saturday’s 7-4 loss to Columbus.
Kaprizov and Boldy now lead the Wild with three goals and seven points each, trailing only Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Carolina’s Martin Necas, who each have eight points.
Up Next:
- Kings: Return home to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
- Wild: Kick off a five-game road trip Tuesday in Dallas.
