Los Angeles 3, Minnesota 2

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Despite missing several key players, the injury-riddled Los Angeles Kings ended a five-game losing streak Monday night with a hard-earned 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Rookie defenseman Joseph Corvo scored his first NHL goal and Steve Kelly netted just his second as a member of the Kings.

Kelly has eight career goals, including one in 11 games for Los Angeles during the 2000-01 season.

Brad Chartrand's shorthanded tally with 6:24 left in the second period proved to be the decisive goal as the Kings improved to 4-7-0 since a three-game winning streak from Dec. 10-14.

Los Angeles has been playing without several regulars, including defenseman Aaron Miller, centers Jason Allison, Bryan Smolinski, Erik Rasmussen and Eric Belanger, right wing Adam Deadmarsh and left wing Ken Belanger, all of whom are on injured reserve.

Pascal Dupuis scored his first goal in 15 games and ninth of the season with 4:42 left to make it 3-2, but the Wild lost their second straight following a three-game winning streak.

Sergei Zholtok had scored the Wild's first goal on the power play to make it 1-1 early in the second period as he gained the Los Angeles zone to the right and wristed an accurate shot over the right shoulder of Felix Potvin.