The Minnesota Wild are locked in a tight battle with division rivals Colorado, Calgary and Vancouver, battling for position in the Western Conference playoff race and for the Northwest Division title. On Saturday night, they'll host the Los Angeles Kings, last in the NHL standings but plenty talented enough to play the role of spoilers. Check out this intriguing match-up in brilliant 1080i on HDNet, live at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Kings to Watch

In any given game, the Kings are capable of delivering a performance that makes it hard to understand how they've managed to fall to the bottom of the NHL standings. Forward Anze Kopitar is quickly emerging as one of the game's brightest young stars, a point-per-game producer with elite level playmaking and finishing skills. And Alexander Frolov, another dynamic scoring threat, is finally starting to achieve the level of consistency needed to excel on a nightly basis.

Power forward Dustin Brown is a human wrecking ball, leading the entire NHL with 282 hits in 68 games. And just as importantly, he's starting to find his range as a sniper, tallying 30 goals in 68 games to lead the Kings. And two more youngsters, Patrick O'Sullivan and Michael Cammalleri, have also shown tremendous promise, if not the consistency that will come with experience.

On the blue line, young Jack Johnson has had a somewhat rough go of things in his debut season. His minus-17 rating is amongst the worst on the team, and though he has strong offensive potential, he's tallied only 11 points in 72 games. At only 21 years old, Johnson will clearly take awhile longer to develop into a star, but there's no question whatsoever that the talent is there.

It would be easy to blame the Kings' woes on their goaltending, but in truth, journeyman Jason LaBarbera has done a fine job. He's stopped 91% of the shots he's faced, keeping the Kings close even in games where they've been completely outplayed. Though LaBarbera probably doesn't figure into the team's long-term plans--top prospect Jonathan Bernier will be given the starter's job when he's ready--"Gonzo" has certainly proven himself a capable NHL netminder this season.

Wild to Watch

Wild forward Marian Gaborik is not only the team's most valuable offensive player, but he's also one of the most exciting players in the entire NHL. His blazing skating speed and top-tier puckhandling ability make his every shift a thrill to watch. And this month, Gaborik was named team captain (head coach Jacques Lemaire rotates the captaincy) for the first time in his career. Without question, trying to contain him will be the Kings' primary goal.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard, the eighth overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, is starting to come into his own as a very solid playmaking winger. He's tallied a team-leading 46 assists this season (in 71 games) and is one of the key components of the Wild power play.

American-born forward Brian Rolston is on his way to a third consecutive 30-goal season. Rolston shoots first and asks questions later, leading Minnesota with 243 shots on goal thus far. A solid two-way player with well-above-average skating ability, Rolston is one of Minnesota's most complete players.

Rearguard Brent Burns has been an absolute revelation for the Wild this season. His 13 goals, 25 assists, and 38 points are all franchise records for a defenseman, and his play in the defensive zone has been quite solid as well (plus-nine rating). Drafted as a forward in 2003, Burns's conversion to defense has been smooth and seamless, a testament to both Lemaire's coaching and to Burns's team-first approach.

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HDNet's NHL game broadcasts are shot exclusively for presentation in the highest-quality 1080i high-definition format, giving viewers all the benefits of a 16:9 aspect ratio and high-resolution picture. A complete schedule of programming, including encore presentations and additional games, as scheduled, is available at HD.net or at NHL.com. The schedule is subject to change, and local blackout restrictions apply.