The Los Angeles Kings conquered the Minnesota Wild 5-1 in a two goal night from center Trevor Lewis. These goals were the 100th and 101st of his career, respectively.
The first goal came nearly seven minutes into the third period when he slammed home his own rebound that popped out of the pads of goaltender Filip Gustavsson. His second goal came with three minutes to play when he found the empty net.
The game-deciding goal came from winger Kevin Fiala on the powerplay. After Fiala’s initial one-time chance, winger Warren Foegele fed Fiala a second time, which resulted in a goal.
Earlier in the period, Foegele started the scoring for the Kings on a scramble in front of the net. Since being traded from the Edmonton Oilers in July, Foegele has proved to be an asset for his new squad, sitting tied for third in goals at five.
After his long and expensive contract extension this past offseason, Quinton Byfield has shown signs of brightness for the Kings. He had two points on the night, including a goal and an assist. His goal — late in the third period to put LA up 4-1 — puts him now five points away from the 100 marker.
Another bright spot for the Kings this year has been their goaltending. After a tough season in that position with wild inconsistencies, both Dave Rittich and Darcy Kuemper have held their own in between the pipes and have been crucial in the success of the team. Rittich was given the nod tonight, and he finished with 24 saves.
Minnesota’s only goal was the opening point of the night seven minutes into the second frame. Defender Zach Bogosian led a breakout before he found a pass from center Frédérick Gaudreau and placed the puck into the back of the net blocker side.
Nevertheless, the Kings — now 8-3-3 — are currently first in the Pacific ahead of their matchup against the third-place Vancouver Canucks at home, Thursday, at 7:30 p.m.