The Minnesota Wild (18-5-4) and the Los Angeles Kings (16-8-3) contested on Saturday night in downtown Los Angeles.
A showdown between the two teams turned into a physical battle, with the Kings ultimately claiming a 4-1 victory. Darcy Kuemper manned the net for the Kings, while Marc-Andre Fleury guarded the Wild’s goal.
Related: Projected Lineups for the Wild vs Kings – 12/7/24
The Central Division-leading 40-point Wild squared off against the Pacific Division’s second-place 35-point Kings, a team with the league’s ninth-youngest roster.
Kings Take the Lead in the Opening
The first period of the game remained scoreless until the last 43 seconds when both teams fought to distribute the puck and create scoring opportunities. As the period wound down, Adrian Kempe capitalized on a fortunate bounce and tipped the puck into Fleury’s net, giving the Kings the lead in their home arena. With his 13th of the season, Kempe leads the team in goals.
Kings Jump Out to 2-0 Lead
A bloody brawl erupted between Tanner Jeannot and Marcus Foligno, sending both players to the penalty box with five-minute majors. Jeannot, bloodied and bruised, was escorted to the locker room. The chaos continued as Marcus Johansson was penalized for kneeing Vladislav Gavrikov, giving the Kings a crucial power-play opportunity. The Kings wasted no time capitalizing, with Alex Laferriere’s snap shot extending their lead to 2-0 at the 11:27 mark. The Wild pressed hard for a goa, but couldn’t find a way to solve the Kings’ defense. The game’s intensity led to several penalties, disrupting the flow of play.
The Clock Ticks Down: 20 Minutes Remain
The third period was a physical battle, with both teams willing to drop the gloves again. Yakov Trenin broke the shutout, but the Wild fell 4-1 to the Kings, with Trevor Moore scoring two empty-net goals. The Wild are set to face the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Meanwhile, the Kings will begin a 7-game road trip with a matchup against the New York Islanders on the same day.
