Anze Kopitar scores his 1,2 hundredth level whereas main the Kings' 6-0 thrashing of the Wild

Captain Anze Kopitar had a aim and an help whereas recording his 1,2 hundredth profession level, David Rittich made 30 saves in his third shutout of the season, and the Los Angeles Kings routed the Minnesota Wild 6-0 on Wednesday evening.

Viktor Arvidsson had his first aim of the season and an help in his return from a monthlong harm absence. Kevin Fiala and Phillip Danault additionally had a aim and an help because the Kings wrapped up back-to-back house victories by a mixed 12-2 over the previous two days.

Matt Roy and Jordan Spence additionally scored for LA, whereas Rittich was stable within the backup goalie’s seventh profession shutout and third in his final 10 begins.

The 36-year-old Kopitar grew to become the 52nd participant in NHL historical past to attain 1,200 factors when he received the first help on Fiala’s aim within the first interval. Kopitar added a power-play aim late within the second, passing Dino Ciccarelli for 51st on the profession scoring listing.

The Slovenian heart has spent his complete 18-season profession in Los Angeles. In accordance with the NHL, Kopitar is the fourth participant in league historical past born outdoors North America to attain 1,200 factors with one group, becoming a member of Alex Ovechkin, Stan Mikita and Evgeni Malkin.

Marc-Andre Fleury confronted solely 16 pictures earlier than Filip Gustavsson changed him within the second interval with Minnesota down 5-0. Fleury’s teammates deflected two of the targets previous him in a comprehensively ugly effort by the Wild, who got here in with an eight-game factors streak after beating Anaheim 4-0 one evening earlier for his or her sixth win in these eight video games.

The Wild completed their three-game street journey at 1-1-1 after being shut out for the fourth time this season, however solely the primary since Jan. 13, when Arizona beat them 6-0.

Minnesota additionally missed the prospect to achieve floor on Los Angeles, which moved seven factors forward of the Wild within the Western Convention playoff image.

Los Angeles went forward 5 minutes in when Danault scored his seventeenth aim on an alert deflection. Fiala, who compelled a Wild turnover to arrange Danault, then roofed a shot from the slot in opposition to his former group throughout an influence play for his twenty third aim.

Arvidsson scored a minute later when Minnesota’s Dakota Mermis slid on his stomach to dam a centering go, however as a substitute deflected it previous Fleury. Arvidsson missed the primary 50 video games of the season whereas recovering from again surgical procedure, and he performed simply 4 video games in February earlier than lacking 14 extra video games with a brand new lower-body harm.

Roy scored 28 seconds into the second interval, ending his 16-game aim drought. Minnesota’s Nick Foligno then by chance made it 5-0 when he deflected Spence’s shot underneath Fleury for the LA defenseman’s second aim in 4 video games after not scoring a aim within the Kings’ first 54 video games.

The third interval featured 130 mixed penalty minutes, together with 12 misconducts.

UP NEXT

Wild: Host St. Louis on Saturday.

Kings: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL