Koivu Scores In Shootout As Wild Beat Kings 4-3
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP/WCCO) — Mikko Koivu scored in a shootout to give the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Koivu also had two assists in regulation. Matt Cullen also had a goal, Zach Parise had a goal and an assist and Niklas Backstrom stopped 28 shots for Minnesota, which bounced back after having its seven-game win streak ended a night earlier in Dallas.
WCCO's Dan Cook Interviews Mikko Koivu
Mikko Koivu
Parise and Cullen also scored in the shootout for the Wild, who are in first place in the Northwest Division.
WCCO's Dan Cook Interviews Zach Parise
Zach Parise
Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter had power-play goals, and Justin Williams also scored for the Kings, who blew a two-goal lead and fell to 2-1 on their five-game road trip. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 25 saves.
WCCO's Dan Cook Interviews Mike Yeo
Mike Yeo
Backstrom won his eighth consecutive start and his 19th game of the season a night after sitting out for the first time in 13 games.
The Kings took a 3-1 lead midway through the second period when Williams scored on a breakaway after blocking Clayton Stoner's shot attempt at point-blank range. Two minutes later, though, Charlie Coyle gave the Wild a boost by scoring on a backhand from his knees after whiffing on his initial attempt.
Coyle missed badly and fell after taking a pretty pass from Parise from behind the net. He more than made up for it by sneaking his second attempt under Quick's stick to make it 3-2.
WCCO's Dan Cook Interviews Brett Clark
Brett Clark
Parise tied it in the third just as L.A. killed off a 5-on-3 Minnesota power play. The crowd just finished booing the Wild for failing to get a shot during the two-man advantage when Koivu went cross ice to find Parise, who wristed it past quick from the left circle to make it 3-all.
L.A. led 1-0 after Brown's goal at 7:58 of the first period, but Cullen tied it at 13:19 after a turnover.
Notes: The Kings have scored two power-play goals on the road four times this season, but have lost all four games. ... Wild C Torrey Mitchell was scratched due to an illness. ... Cullen has 19 points in his past 19 games, and Devin Setoguchi has 10 points in his past 10.
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