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BOX SCORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The expansion Minnesota Wild recorded another
first on Saturday: They've finally won consecutive road games.
|  | | Wild goalie Manny Fernandez makes a stop against the Kings' Kelly Buchberger -- one of 35 saves he had for the night. |
Rookie Marian Gaborik scored two goals, including an
empty-netter, and Manny Fernandez made 35 saves in a 4-1 victory
over the Los Angeles Kings. Wes Walz and Gaborik scored 52 seconds
apart in the third period.
"We've been playing this way at home, and these two games were
pretty important for us," said Fernandez, who beat Anaheim 5-0 on
Wednesday night. "We've got to get our confidence back on the
road. These road games get pretty tough, but we got two wins."
Rookie Eric Belanger spoiled Fernandez's bid for his fifth
shutout of the season when he converted a pass from behind the net
by Glen Murray with 11:18 remaining.
The goal ended a scoring drought of 169 minutes, 25 seconds by
Los Angeles, including shutouts by Philadelphia's Roman Cechmanek
and Calgary's Fred Brathwaite.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy against L.A. because they
got blanked in the last two games, so I knew they were going to
take it to us right off the bat," Fernandez said. "I got lucky on
a few of their shots, but the team played well defensively. We kind
of smothered them and they got a little frustrated at the end of
the game."
The Kings' previous goal was an empty-netter by Nelson Emerson
with 44 seconds left in their 6-3 victory at Carolina on Jan. 20.
They had gone 178 minutes, 10 seconds since they last put a puck past a goaltender --
Bryan Smolinski's shot against Arturs Irbe.
Before the back-to-back blankings, the Kings were tied with New
Jersey for the most goals in the NHL.
"We've got a bunch of guys who can put the puck in the net, and
we've been one of the highest-scoring teams in the league. Right
now, we're just having bad luck," defenseman Jaroslav Modry said.
The Kings have two of the league's top scorers in Ziggy Palffy
and Luc Robitaille, who is 13th on the career goal-scoring list.
But Robitaille has only two goals in his last 13 games and Palffy
three in 10 games since missing eight games because of a strained
right hamstring.
"We're a little snake-bit right now," Emerson said. "You look
at the goal scorers we have on this team. We had a lot of chances
today, but the puck's just not bouncing in for us. But with the
guys we have in this room, you can't keep them down for too long."
The Wild were outshot 20-8 by the Kings before Andy Sutton
scored on a power play at 11:22 of the second. He redirected Filip
Kuba's long slap shot over Jamie Storr's glove for his third goal
of the season while Stu Grimson was serving a penalty.
Walz made it 2-0 with 12:26 remaining, getting a step on Modry
and finding the far corner of the net with a shot along the ice
that just eluded Storr's left skate.
"In this league, when teams get a lead, the players are good
enough to hold a lead -- especially with quality goaltending like
Fernandez gives them. So it's tough to come from behind," Emerson
said.
Gaborik extended the lead to three goals moments later when he
worked the puck away from Modry in the right corner and tucked his
10th goal between Storr's glove and the post.
Game notes
The only time in its 34-year history that Los Angeles was
blanked in three consecutive games was in January 1969 -- a pair of
scoreless ties with St. Louis and Oakland, followed by a 5-0 loss
to the Blues. ... Fernandez entered with a 2.22 goals-against
average. The record for the lowest by a goaltender on a first-year
expansion team is 2.27, by Philadelphia's Doug Favell in 1967-68.
... Minnesota is 6-for-24 on the power play in its last five games
after going 0-for-20 in its previous five. ... The Kings are 2-8-1
in their last 10 at Staples Center, where they play their next six.
... One of the Kings' best scoring chances came early in the game
on a 2-on-1 break while they were shorthanded. Belanger set up Rob
Blake with a perfect cross-ice pass, but Fernandez made a diving
glove save at the right of the crease.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Los Angeles Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 4
Carolina 3
Montreal 4
Washington 2
Minnesota 4
Los Angeles 1
Boston 4
New Jersey 3
Buffalo 2
NY Islanders 1
Toronto 3
NY Rangers 1
Columbus 2
Anaheim 1
Florida 3
Tampa Bay 2
Pittsburgh 5
Atlanta 1
Colorado 5
Nashville 1
San Jose 4
St. Louis 3
Vancouver 5
Calgary 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marian Gaborik finds the back of the net for a Wild goal.
avi: 572 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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