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Los Angeles Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, left, and Minnesota Wild left wing Jordan Greenway vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Foligno, top, trips over Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Kings center Jaret Anderson-Dolan, left, scores on Minnesota Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Minnesota Wild center Luke Johnson, top, goes after the puck as Los Angeles Kings left wing Austin Wagner falls during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Kings center Jaret Anderson-Dolan, left, is congratulated by center Jeff Carter after scoring during the first period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Minnesota Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen stops a shot during the first period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, left, and Minnesota Wild left wing Jordan Greenway fall to the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Minnesota Wild center Marcus Johansson, below, falls as he vied for the puck with Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick deflects a shot during the second period of Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild at Staples Center. Quick had 28 saves in a 4-0 win. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Ryan Hartman, left, tries to pass the puck as Los Angeles Kings center Gabriel Vilardi reaches in during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Minnesota Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, left, gives up a goal to Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown as Kings center Anze Kopitar, right, watches during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Kings won 4-0. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown, center, celebrates his goal agains the Minnesota Wild with center Anze Kopitar, left, and defenseman Drew Doughty during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Minnesota Wild center Luke Johnson, left, and right wing Gerald Mayhew, right, compete for the puck with Los Angeles Kings left wing Austin Wagner during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Kings won 4-0. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick stops a shot during the third period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Kings won 4-0. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
History did not repeat itself for the Kings on Tuesday night, when they successfully protected a two-goal, second-intermission lead against the Minnesota Wild and earned a 4-0 victory at Staples Center.
The Kings led by two goals after 40 minutes in their first two Staples meetings with the Wild, only to cede tying goals in regulation and Minnesota game-winners in overtime. In between the teams split a pair of games in Minnesota in an impromptu rivalry that is gaining steam thanks to this season’s realignment and some sinewy matches so far.
This marked the second time this season that the Kings have won consecutive games.
“They earned the right to win the games,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Our lines are starting to gel a little bit.”
Forwards Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Trevor Moore and Dustin Brown found the net for the Kings on Tuesday. Defenseman Drew Doughty added an empty-netter. Jonathan Quick was in goal for the first time in four games, making 28 saves in the Kings’ first shutout of the season and the 53rd of his career, extending his franchise record.
“When you get a shutout, it’s more usually on the team than the goalie,” Quick said. “I’ve been fortunate to be on a lot of good teams here.”
Did Quick, who had not won since Jan.24, enter the game with anything to prove?
“No,” Quick said.
Minnesota goalie Kappo Kahkonen stopped 25 of 28 Kings shots.
Coming off six postponed games due to a COVID-19 outbreak, Minnesota was still without multiple defensemen and forwards, as well as top goalie Cam Talbot due to a combination of COVID-19 protocol-related absences and injuries. Forward Mats Zuccarello made his season debut, having recovered from a surgery on his arm.
The first period belonged to the Kings as undermanned Minnesota also found itself short-handed twice. The hosts outshot the Wild 9-3 in the period and scored on their first power-play opportunity 3:36 into the game.
Defenseman Matt Roy, who played his first game since he sustained an upper-body injury against the Wild on Jan. 28, kept a clearing attempt in the zone and moved the puck ahead to forward Gabe Vilardi. He found Jeff Carter in space, who sucked the defense in and sent a pass across to a wide-open Anderson-Dolan. It was the rookie’s first career power-play goal.
“We wanted to have a good heavy start,” McLellan said. “We scored on the power play and that certainly helped.”
Doughty hit the post, while Matt Luff and Moore had partial breakaways in the first half of the game, though those chances went for naught.
But Moore made no mistake when he doubled the Kings’ lead with just under eight minutes to play in the middle frame. He was the beneficiary of a remarkable individual effort in transition by Anderson-Dolan, who rushed up the right-wing wall from faceoff dot to faceoff dot before his backhand pass through traffic found Moore uncovered.
“I just had some time and space. Things kind of just opened up and I saw Trevor in a good spot, backside there,” Anderson-Dolan said, adding that he was gaining confidence as each game passed.
Minnesota drew three penalties in the second period, but the Kings killed all three to enter the second intermission with a 2-0 lead. The Wild have not scored on any of their 21 power plays against the Kings this season.
Both sides of the special teams game have been excellent for the Kings, who are averaging one power-play goal per game and have become stalwarts on the penalty kill. The Kings have five power-play goals in their last three games, and they have scored with the man-advantage in nine of their 14 games.
They are on the cusp of joining or supplanting one of the three teams league-wide that is in the top 10 in both power-play conversion rate and penalty-kill percentage. The other three are all Cup contenders: preseason favorite Colorado, perennially competitive Boston and defending champion Tampa Bay.
The Kings weathered some shaky moments early in the third, and throughout the period Quick was up to the task as Minnesota raised the temperature of its game. He was aided by defenseman Mikey Anderson, who made a goal-saving play. Center Anze Kopitar had a partial breakaway denied by Kahkonen’s glove.
Quick’s 25th save might have been his most spectacular. With just under six minutes remaining, he pushed across and lunged forward just as Zuccarello was sweeping a backdoor one-timer toward the net. Quick’s pad denied the shot comfortably to preserve his shutout.
With 3:04 left, the Kings stuck the dagger into the Wild. Their effort on the forecheck allowed Kopitar and Brown to outnumber a lone Wild defender, Ryan Suter. Kopitar strode toward the net to draw Kahkonen to the near post, then slid a pass across for Brown’s shot into an open net.
“It took their two-goal belief, probably, away and it settled us down,” McLellan said.
Inside the final minute, Doughty hit the empty net from more than 150 feet away to stretch the lead to four.
Perrrrrrfect goes @JonathanQuick32 to pick up the @pepsi shutout with 28 saves on the night. pic.twitter.com/tAdv9AMnqc
— NHL (@NHL) February 17, 2021
“They earned the right to win the games and they got rewarded for them so that makes everybody feel good.”
Todd McLellan on the @LAKings back-to-back wins
#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/zMgbfP2YwX
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 17, 2021
STANDING O FOR THIS GUY
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 17, 2021
Jaret Anderson-Dolan is gonna get things rolling for the @LAKings. pic.twitter.com/YTThsASW6E
— NHL (@NHL) February 17, 2021
Jaret Anderson-Dolan addresses the media after “playing out of his mind” tonight! (@trevmoore08 words, not his
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 17, 2021
Tonight he got his 1st goal of the season and now @trevmoore08 stops by to chat with @CarrlynBathe following a solid team win!#GoKingsGo | @LAKings pic.twitter.com/6OaqUP4sGi
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 17, 2021
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