Vilardi, Quick carry Kings to victory
LOS ANGELES — Gabe Vilardi scored his second consecutive game-winning goal, Jonathan Quick made 22 saves and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Minnesota Wild 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Vilardi beat Marc-Andre Fleury between his legs on a one-timer from the high slot with 6:03 left.
That was all Quick needed as he posted his second shutout against the Wild and the 57th of his distinguished career. He is second among active goalies in shutouts.
Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty had the assists on Vilardi’s 10th goal of the season to help the Kings earn their third straight home win. Fleury stopped 29 shots. Kirill Kaprizov received a match penalty for a retaliatory cross-check to the jaw of Doughty with 5:12 remaining in the second period.
Los Angeles, however, could not score on the subsequent five-minute power play.
The closest thing to a goal through the first two periods came when Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev used an obvious high stick to put the puck in the net at 8:30 of the second.
NICE TO SEE YOU
The Wild welcomed back forward Jordan Greenway, who had appeared in only one of their first 11 games because of a troublesome left shoulder. He had surgery over the summer, keeping him out of training camp and the first three games of the season.
Greenway made his season debut Oct. 20 against Vancouver but lasted just 2:58 before sustaining an injury to the same shoulder unrelated to the offseason procedure.
NOTES
Wild F Marcus Foligno (upper body) participated in a morning skate and could return as soon as Friday at Seattle. … Kings F Quinton Byfield has been loaned to the AHL for a rehabilitation assignment after missing six games because of illness. … The Wild took three shots in the first, their fewest in any period this season.
UP NEXT
Wild: At the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night to complete the Southern California back-to-back.
Kings: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.