Kings beat Wild to end four-game losing streak

Kyle Calder had a goal and an assist Tuesday night to help the Kings end a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

The NHL’s lowest-scoring team, the Kings were 0 for 26 on the power play during their skid until Anze Kopitar scored with the man advantage at 7:18 of the second period to put them ahead, 2-1. Dustin Brown stretched the lead to two 1:14 later.

Derek Armstrong also had a goal and Patrick O’Sullivan scored an empty-net goal for the Kings, who got two assists each from defensemen Drew Doughty and Matt Greene. Jonathan Quick made 25 saves.

Owen Nolan and Marek Zidlicky scored for the Wild.

Calder used a screen from Brown to score his fifth goal of the season and give the Kings a 1-0 lead midway through the first period.

Minnesota tied it two minutes later on the power play when Nolan batted a puck out of the air and past Quick. Zidlicky cut the Kings’ advantage to 3-2 with a power-play goal in the second.

The Kings held Minnesota to 14 shots through two periods and 27 for the game. Unless it was on the power play, Minnesota had a difficult time getting good shots.

Quick improved to 5-5 on the season.

Outscored, 15-4, during their losing streak, the Kings put the pressure on early against a Wild team that had played a road game (a win at Chicago) the night before. The Kings ended the first period with a five-shot flurry on the power play and led 3-1 before the second period was eight minutes old.

Sullivan’s empty-net goal came with four seconds left.