LOS ANGELES – Two games in, the Minnesota Wild's revamped forward lines look like they're jelling.
But former linemates from last season also combined to contribute.
Victor Rask's reunion with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello was part of a three-goal second period for the Wild that led to a 3-2 win over the Kings on Saturday at Staples Center, sealing a sweep on the team's season-opening road trip.
Rask's goal came after Frederick Gaudreau evened the score at 1 and before Ryan Hartman delivered the eventual game-winner. Goalie Cam Talbot, who also played Friday in the Wild's 2-1 win at Anaheim, picked up 29 saves.
After a messy finish to the first period that included a clutch stop by Talbot off a Gaudreau giveaway, the Wild fell behind when Viktor Arvidsson converted on a Los Angeles power play 5 minutes, 23 seconds into the second. Overall, the Kings went 1-for-4 and the Wild was 0-for-1.
But the Wild responded quickly.
Only 54 seconds after Arvidsson's goal, the Wild answered on a one-timer from Gaudreau set up by Kevin Fiala, who registered his 200th NHL point with the assist. The goal was Gaudreau's first with the Wild since coming over as a free agent in the offseason.
Then, at 11:55, Rask took a shift with Kaprizov and Zuccarello following a Wild penalty kill and the line delivered — an effort reminiscent of last season when the three frequently played together. Kaprizov fed the puck to Rask, and he wired it past Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick's glove.
Later in the period, Brandon Duhaime pushed the puck behind Quick for what would have been his first NHL goal. But the Kings challenged, and video review determined Duhaime pushed Quick's pad, which caused the puck to roll into the net.
Soon after that call, the Wild scored again to make the two-goal lead stick.
On the very next shift, at 16:52, Hartman accepted a Marcus Foligno pass and roofed it over Quick, who ended up with 27 saves.
In the third, the Kings were the beneficiaries of a fortuitous bounce — an Anze Kopitar shot that caromed off Matt Dumba's skate and behind Talbot at 7:28.
But the Wild held off Los Angeles the rest of the way to return to Xcel Energy Center for its home opener Tuesday vs. Winnipeg a perfect 2-0.
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