LOS ANGELES - Inside the Staples Center, John Madden was centering the second line, at times playing the power play. Cody Almond was centering the third line, at times getting penalty-kill duty. Eric Nystrom moved from wing to center.
Guys are playing unfamiliar roles, but such is life right now for the Wild, which is playing for an extended period without No. 1 center Mikko Koivu and, for the time being, No. 2 center Kyle Brodziak, who's not on the road trip because of illness.
The shorthanded Wild gave it one heck of a try Thursday night, but the big, fast and healthy Los Angeles Kings, wearing their throwback purples, triumphed for a big 4-2 victory to leapfrog Minnesota in the standings.
"Guys played hard all the way to the end," Wild coach Todd Richards said. "That was a pretty intense, pretty physical game. I'm proud of the way the guys battled. ... We just came up a little short.
"It would have been an easy game to throw the towel in on, but I'm real happy the way they played the game. We weren't perfect by any means, but we tried."
The Kings, who hadn't played at home since Jan. 26 and were coming off a 6-1-3 road trip, moved to fifth in the West, while Minnesota dropped to sixth, sitting atop four other teams all tied with 70 points. The Wild visits Anaheim tonight.
Wayne Simmonds scored two goals for the Kings and Drew Doughty scored the winner 5:39 into the third. Nystrom and Brent Burns scored for Minnesota as Niklas Backstrom, who made 26 saves, allowed more than two goals for only the fifth time in the past 18 games.
The last goal came with Minnesota on its second power play in the waning minutes with the game on the line. With 1:27 left, Richards pulled Backstrom for an extra attacker and 6-on-4 advantage.