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Tuesday night’s NHL action witnessed the Los Angeles Kings showcasing their prowess in a remarkable 5-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild. Trevor Lewis, striking the puck into the net twice, and Kevin Fiala, scoring another during the power play, led the Kings’ onslaught.
Kings’ Unwavering Performance Keeps Momentum High
With Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield also making their mark on the scoreboard, the Kings upheld their winning streak, following a 3-0 victory in Nashville the previous night. The Kings’ netminder, David Rittich, contributed to the victory with a commendable 23 saves.
Kevin Fiala, who switched his allegiance to the Kings in 2022 from Minnesota in exchange for a first-round draft pick and defenseman Brock Faber, recorded his seventh goal of the season. Fiala continues to make his presence felt against his former team, with a tally of three goals and six assists in his last seven outings against the Wild.
Wild’s Unfortunate Slip in Momentum
The Minnesota Wild, coming off a three-game winning streak, initiated the scoring in the second period with Zach Bogosian’s inaugural goal of the season. However, despite goaltender Filip Gustavsson’s 23 saves, the Wild couldn’t sustain their lead.
Key Takeaways From the Game
The Kings’ successful back-to-back performance, culminating in a four-point finish, sees them heading home with five wins in seven games. With 19 points in their kitty, the Kings now dominate the Pacific Division standing at a 7-2-1 record since the season opened at 1-1-2.
For the Wild, this was the first game this season that slipped out of their control. Despite scoring first for the ninth time in 12 games, their record dropped to 6-1-2 in such instances.
Turning Point of the Game
Fiala’s lead-taking goal emerged as the pivotal moment of the match. The second goal, scored within a span of 4:25 into the second period, came courtesy of Alex Laferriere’s assist to a wide-open Fiala, who expertly one-timed a shot past Gustavsson.
Noteworthy Statistics
The Wild’s power play efficiency, which was the 11th best in the league at a 22.2% conversion rate, began to falter. The Wild failed to score on four attempts with the man advantage on Tuesday, making them 0 for 14 on the power play in their last four games.
What’s Next?
Looking forward, the Kings will be hosting Vancouver on Thursday, while the Wild will be visiting San Jose on the same day.
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