LOS ANGELES – Victor Rask started the season on the Wild's fourth line.
But by the second game, he's already found himself a new home: centering the No.1 unit.
Rask will be play with wingers Zach Parise and Kirill Kaprizov Saturday at Staples Center when the Wild and Kings reunite for Round 2 after the Wild rallied for a 4-3 overtime win in the season opener Thursday.
During that game, Rask was promoted up the lineup after scoring an early third period goal that helped spur the team's come-from-behind victory. He buried a shot past Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick after accepting a Kaprizov pass; Parise was setting the screen.
Later in the game, Rask even earned a shift in overtime – getting on the ice with Kaprizov ahead of Kaprizov's game-winning breakaway goal.
Rask's jump in opportunity comes after he was a frequent healthy scratch last season, including every playoff game.
"The camp that he had rolled into [Thursday], and he warranted getting more ice time," coach Dean Evason said after the first game. "He was real good and he's been from Day 1 of training camp."
This rematch with the Kings is the Wild's first look at one of the schedule tweaks this season that has the team playing each opponent at least twice in a row. A win would give the Wild its first 2-0 start since 2015-16.
