Wild defeat Ducks to remain unbeaten

Brian Rolston and Mark Parrish scored second-period goals and Josh Harding posted his third career shutout with a career-high 37 saves Sunday night, leading the unbeaten Minnesota Wild to a testy 2-0 victory over the defending champion Anaheim Ducks at Anaheim, Calif., and spoiling goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s season debut.

Minnesota’s 5-0 start leaves the Wild as the NHL’s only team without a loss, and puts them one victory away from matching last season’s squad for the franchise’s best winning streak to begin a season. Three of the wins have been shutouts.

Giguere, who recorded a franchise-record 36 victories last season and 13 more in the playoffs, faced 24 shots. He sat out the first six games after undergoing surgery on Aug. 6 for a sports hernia.

Giguere’s anticipated duel with Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom did not take place, however. Backstrom, who had a league-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .929 save percentage last season as a rookie, got the night off after allowing just four goals in Minnesota’s first four games.

Rolston scored on Minnesota’s first shot of the second period, slapping the puck over Giguere’s glove from the top of the right circle at the 2:04 mark. Parrish made it 2-0 at 11:50 of the period.

Red Wings 4, Kings 1: At Los Angeles, Henrik Zetterberg had a goal and two assists and Detroit beat Los Angeles, sending the Kings to their fifth consecutive loss.

The Red Wings scored two goals each in the second and third periods against Jonathan Bernier, the Kings’ 19-year-old rookie.