LOS ANGELES – Offense was a catalyst for the Minnesota Wild's recent tear.
That was also the reason for the run's demise.
Despite a strong showing by backup Kaapo Kahkonen and an admirable effort by the penalty kill, the Wild couldn't outscore the Los Angeles Kings and fell 2-1 on Saturday at Staples Center to end a season-long eight-game winning streak.
One more victory and the Wild would have tied for the second-longest winning streak in team history and tied the Carolina Hurricanes for the longest in the NHL this season.
Instead, the team suffered only its seventh regulation-time loss of the season — and first since Nov.20 — and failed to reclaim first place in the NHL. The Wild's 19 victories and 39 points, however, remain tops in the Central Division.
The Wild is back in action on Sunday, concluding this four-game road trip at Vegas.
Los Angeles' Brendan Lemieux pushed the Kings past the Wild in the third period, capitalizing on a loose puck in front at 9 minutes, 15 seconds in his first game back after a five-game suspension for biting the Senators' Brady Tkachuk.
This was the Wild's first loss this season when tied after two periods (6-1).
Although the Kings didn't grab the lead until the final period, this result wasn't surprising considering how the Wild started.
The Wild committed three penalties in the first period and although the Kings didn't take advantage, they did generate pressure and ended up throwing 13 pucks on net in the period where Kahkonen was starting in place of Cam Talbot.
This parade to the penalty box continued in the second, and that's when Los Angeles almost broke the stalemate.
Wild penalty kills were hemmed in their own zone as the Kings played keep-away, a game that continued as Dmitry Kulikov snapped his stick on a clearing attempt.
Even after Alex Goligoski rejoined the action from the penalty box, giving the Wild three defenseman on the ice, the team struggled to win back possession. Jon Merrill ended up playing 3:17 before making it to the Wild bench for a change.
Overall, the Wild finished 5-for-5 on the penalty kill and its power play served up the eventual icebreaker.
Marcus Foligno tipped a shot at 13:11 from Matt Dumba, who was back in the lineup after missing Thursday's game at San Jose with a non-COVID-19 illness. The Wild was still down a regular defenseman, though, as Jonas Brodin was out with an upper-body injury.
Foligno's goal was his 12th of the season, one behind Ryan Hartman's team-leading 13 and one shy of his career high from 2016-17 with Buffalo.
This was also a season-high fourth straight game that featured a Wild power play goal. Ten of the team's 15 power play goals have come on the road, including six in the last six road contests. The team blanked on its only other chance.
But the Wild didn't have the lead for long.
Just 1:18 after Foligno scored, Phillip Danault put back his own rebound after Kahkonen made an impressive pad stop on the first attempt.
Kahkonen, who ended up making 35 saves, also had another key stop on Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar before the second wrapped up. He fell to 4-2-1 on the season.
At the other end, Jonathan Quick had 29 saves.
