Los Angeles Kings captain Anže Kopitar contributed a goal and an assist while reaching his 1,200th career point milestone. In a decisive 6-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night, goaltender David Rittich posted his third shutout of the season with 30 saves.
Viktor Arvidsson, returning from a month-long injury, scored his first goal of the season and added an assist. Kevin Fiala and Phillip Danault also tallied a goal and an assist each as the Kings secured consecutive home wins by a cumulative score of 12-2 over the past two days.
Matt Roy and Jordan Spence also found the net for LA, with Rittich delivering a solid performance in the backup goaltender role, recording his seventh career shutout and third in his last 10 starts.
Kopitar, aged 36, became the 52nd NHL player to achieve 1,200 points, providing the primary assist on Fiala’s first-period goal. Later in the game, Kopitar scored a power-play goal, surpassing Dino Ciccarelli for 51st place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list.
Kopitar’s accomplishment makes him the fourth player in league history born outside North America to reach 1,200 points with a single team, joining the ranks of Alex Ovechkin, Stan Mikita, and Evgeni Malkin.
Minnesota struggled defensively, with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury facing only 16 shots before being replaced by Filip Gustavsson in the second period. Despite a valiant effort, the Wild failed to capitalize on opportunities and finished the road trip with a 1-1-1 record.
The loss halted their eight-game points streak and widened the gap in the Western Conference playoff race, with Los Angeles now seven points ahead of Minnesota.
While the scoreline may suggest a lopsided game, Minnesota’s Mats Zuccarello noted that the contest was more closely contested than it appeared. Nevertheless, the outcome underscores the unpredictability of hockey, with the Kings capitalizing on key moments to secure a convincing victory.
