After showing signs that their offense had improved dramatically for this season, the Minnesota Wild have fallen into a bit of a slump, scoring only six goals in their first five December games. But the Wild defense remains one of the NHL's stingiest, complemented nicely by game-breaking sniper Marian Gaborik, and so they have managed to remain right in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings have the most talented young core in the Western Conference, featuring some of the game's brightest future stars. The learning curve is steep, however, and the Kings will have their hands full when they take on the Wild on Saturday night at the Staples Center. Check out this intriguing match-up in brilliant 1080i on HDNet.

Wild to Watch

Dynamic winger Marian Gaborik is the focal point of the Wild offense, as he has been for most of the franchise's existence. He boasts tremendous breakaway speed and dazzling puckhandling skills, and is without question one of the most exciting players in the NHL. Gaborik has battled groin injuries throughout his career, missing huge chunks of the last two seasons, but he's healthy now and is leading the Wild in both goals (10) and points (24) despite missing five of their 30 games.

Fellow Slovakian Pavol Demitra missed a rash of games earlier this season, but is healthy and productive once again, tallying 14 points in 17 games thus far this season. Demitra and Gaborik have exhibited great chemistry when they've gotten the opportunity to play together, and on the power play in particular, they can be expected to generate some offensive fireworks.

American-born Brian Rolston is one of the game's most versatile players. Able to play all three forward positions--as well as handling the point on the power play--Rolston is currently suiting up as a left winger for the Wild. He has a tremendous shot, one of the NHL's hardest, and is an excellent skater in his own right. Rolston's 115 shots are most on the Wild, with only Gaborik (94) coming close.

Last summer, the Wild lost center Todd White to the Atlanta Thrashers via free agency, while signing center Eric Belanger away from the Thrashers to take his place. Thus far, the move has been a lateral one, with both players tallying 18 points through their first 30 games with their new teams. But Belanger has the greater upside, and is slowly coming into his own as a legitimate second-line scoring threat for the Wild.

Rookie netminder Niklas Backstrom came out of nowhere last season to emerge as the Wild's starter, and though he wasn't eligible for the Calder Trophy (over the age limit) and didn't receive consideration for the Vezina Trophy, he was the main reason why Minnesota was able to earn a spot in the postseason. This year, Backstrom is proving that his rookie performance was no fluke, successfully avoiding the sophomore jinx and continuing to play at an extremely high level.

Kings to Watch

The Kings' scoring leader, Anze Kopitar is building nicely upon his stellar rookie campaign, delivering on the power play (15 PP points), at even strength, and even on the penalty kill (two shorthanded goals). That Kopitar has been so successful this season despite being a focal point of the opposition's checking efforts bodes very well for his future prospects, and it's a safe bet that he will develop into one of the NHL's top forwards in the coming seasons.

Dynamic winger Mike Cammalleri got off to a brilliant start, tallying 10 goals in his first 10 games this season, but he's cooled off dramatically, lighting the lamp only four times in the last 21 games. Without question, Cammalleri is a key to the Kings' power play, and he'll need to get back on track if L.A. is to battle their way back into the Western Conference playoff picture.

Slowly but surely, Kings power forward Dustin Brown is emerging as one of the team's most valuable players. He is second on the team in scoring (27 points in 32 games), but more importantly, is the NHL's leader in hits (142). To put Brown's league-leading performance into proper context, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Komisarek is second with 105 hits. As the Kings mature, Brown's physical play will wear down opposing defensemen and be a key to their future success.

On the blue line, Jack Johnson is without question one of the game's brightest prospects. But in this, his rookie season, Johnson is discovering just how difficult it is to play defense at the NHL level. Playing for Team USA and the University of Michigan Wolverines, Johnson was an imposing presence on the ice, but with the Kings, he is playing more of a supporting role as he cuts his teeth. Though Kings fans would probably like to see Johnson's development trajectory be a bit more steep, the cautious approach the organization is taking makes it far more likely that he'll evolve into a perennial Norris Trophy candidate.

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