On rare win streak, Wings welcome Kings

The Detroit Red Wings' season hasn't been full of good cheer. With a modest winning streak and the return of their top scorer, they can feel a little bit better about themselves.

The Wings snapped a 12-game losing streak against Winnipeg on Thursday, then defeated Montreal on the road for the second time this season, 2-1, on Saturday. They'll face Los Angeles at home on Sunday.

Anthony Mantha played for the first time in nine games after recovering from a knee injury. Mantha had a team-best 12 goals and 23 points when he was injured. He had one shot on goal and also recorded three hits against the Canadiens.

"Anthony is obviously a really, really talented and good offensive player and one of our biggest offensive threats, if not the biggest offensive threat," Wings coach Jeff Blashill told NHL.com. "He was having a heck of a year before he got hurt. He looks good. This is on the early side of the timeline, but I think he's done a really good job of getting himself prepared."

Detroit, which still has the worst record in the league by a significant margin, needs all the offensive firepower it can get. The Wings got just enough offense on Saturday to support Jonathan Bernier, who made a season-high 42 saves and nearly recorded the team's first shutout since last season.

Tyler Bertuzzi scored his 11th goal, and defenseman Mike Green tallied his second goal on a power play. Mantha skated on the team's first line much of the season but joined rookie Filip Zadina and Valtteri Filppula on the second line Saturday. Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin and Robby Fabbri, who has been the team's top threat the past month, comprised the first line.

Blashill hopes the combination of Mantha and Zadina will click. Zadina had three points against Winnipeg.

"Each game he's been up here, he's done a pretty good job. He looks way more confident than he did in the preseason, way more confident certainly than last year," Blashill said. "I thought in the nine-game stretch he came up at the end of last year, he played fine, but now he looks way more confident, he's way more dangerous. He's better with the puck."

The Kings lost in a shootout at Pittsburgh on Saturday night, 5-4. Like the Wings, they have the worst record in their conference.

Los Angeles has picked up five points over the last three games. Tyler Toffoli has been the offensive catalyst during that stretch with two goals and four assists. He had a goal and an assist against the Penguins.

The Kings, who once led 2-0, rallied from a 4-2 deficit to force overtime at Pittsburgh. They couldn't support Jonathan Quick in the shootout, as Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust scored the only goal.

Quick had held Los Angeles' previous two opponents to one goal apiece.

"I'd describe him as stubborn, and I think that's a real good quality for him and the team," Kings coach Todd McLellan told the team's website. "He's determined. If it's going good, he's steady on the rudder. If it's not going so good, he's stubborn and he wants to get back in there and fix things, so I think that type of demeanor rubs off on his teammates and guys want to play for him."

The Kings won the first meeting 3-2 on Alex Iafallo's overtime goal on Nov. 14. Bertuzzi scored both of the Wings' goals.

--Field Level Media