October 3 postgame notes, highlights

-The Kings improved to 20-17-9 all-time in season openers. They have won three of their last four season openers, with all three wins coming in overtime or a shootouts: 2010-11 – 2-1 SOW @ VAN, 2011-12 3-2 OTW vs NYR, 2013-14 3-2 SOW @ MIN

-The Wild lost a home opener for the first time in the franchise’s history. Minnesota fell to 11-0-2 all-time in home openers, with the other point earned in October, 2000 as a result of a 3-3 tie with Philadelphia in what was the first regular season game ever played at the Xcel Energy Center.

-Los Angeles improved to 22-14-5 all-time against Minnesota, including a record of 11-7-7 at the Xcel Energy Center. Thursday’s win snapped a three-game road losing streak (0-1-2) to the Wild.

-The Kings won’t visit St. Paul again until the 2014-15 season. The two remaining games against the Wild (1/7/14, 3/31/14) will both take place in Los Angeles.

-Willie Mitchell recorded 24:28 of ice time in his regular season return to the lineup. He logged 4:27 on the penalty kill. He was credited with one hit and one blocked shot.

-Ryan Suter logged a game-high 30:16 of ice time for Minnesota, 5:33 of which was spent on the power play.

-Robyn Regehr finished with an assist, a plus-1 rating and tied for a game-high three blocked shots in 20:03 of ice time.

-Anze Kopitar won 5-of-19 faceoffs (26%). Los Angeles won 19-of-51 faceoffs (37%).

-Mikko Koivu (16-of-23), Kyle Brodziak (7-of-9) and Zenon Konopka (3-of-3) led Minnesota in faceoffs.

-With three shots apiece, Matt Frattin and Jeff Carter were the only Kings to finish with more than two shots on goal. Zach Parise finished with a game-high eight shots.

-all videos courtesy KingsVision