SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Fighting to make a fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs, every shift counts for the Minnesota Wild. On Tuesday, they made sure every shot counted also.

Goals by Erik Haula and Mikko Koivu were enough for the Wild, who beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 via just 18 shots on goal. Devan Dubnyk's season-high 38 saves made the biggest difference, as the Wild (35-28-11) won their third game in a row, moving ahead of the idle Colorado Avalanche by a point in the race for the final playoff spot in the West.

Tyler Toffoli scored the lone goal for the Kings, who already clinched a trip to the playoffs but lost for the second time in as many nights. Jonathan Quick had 16 saves for Los Angeles (44-24-5), which dominated offensively in all three periods but managed just one goal.

The Kings outshot Minnesota 13-6 in the third, but were thwarted by Dubnyk at every turn.

"He was big, competitive and wanted to win and he wanted to show the team that he was going to carry us through that game," Wild interim coach John Torchetti said. "We didn't get the play we wanted in front of him. He was fun to watch because he competed and did a great job, even on rebounds of keeping them close. Just came up big for us."

Haula got some rest early, spending two minutes in the penalty box when he was whistled for high sticking in the first minute. The Kings got a quartet of shots against Dubnyk but did not score on the power play, continuing a recent run of success for Minnesota penalty killers.

"I'm just trying to be myself out there, and relax, and find pucks, and trust everybody," said Dubnyk, now 4-0-1 in his last five starts. "All of us are at our best when we're trusting each other, and that's myself included. These guys have done a great job in front of me, and it gives me a lot of trust in what they're doing. That helps my game."

When Haula was out of the box, he went hard to the net and caught a pass from Charlie Coyle between the circles. Minnesota's first shot of the game was a backhander by Haula that fooled Quick, giving the Wild a 1-0 lead.

The Kings dominated everywhere else for the rest of the period, outshooting the Wild 14-3 in the opening 20 minutes and holding the Wild without a shot on goal during two power plays.

"Special teams turned out to be the difference again," Kings center Anze Kopitar said. "We've got to figure out how to get a power play goal. There were many opportunities there and a lot of good looks, we just need to find a way to capitalize on them. That was the difference tonight."

When the Wild did get a shot during a power play early in the second period, Koivu stepped around a check and fired a rising shot into the upper left corner of the net. With Zach Parise posted at the top of the crease, blocking much of Quick's view, the goalie didn't have a chance to react before the puck was behind him.

The Kings dominated another power play midway through the game and still could not score, but they finally got on the board with an even-strength goal.

Roughly a minute after Dubnyk robbed Drew Doughty with a sweeping glove save, Doughty started a rush to the Wild net that ended with Toffoli using a Minnesota defender as a screen and popping off a shot from between the circles that eluded Dubnyk on the stick side for his team-leading 27th goal of the season.

"He probably was (the difference). At the same time, it's tough to score in this league," said Kings coach Darryl Sutter in praise of Dubnyk. "When you've got that many shots you've got to make sure you keep the goals-against at one or two and score. That's how you make the playoffs, and that's how you win in the playoffs."

NOTES: Wild RW Jason Pominville participated in a full morning skate with the team Tuesday, but he has yet to return to game action. He missed his seventh consecutive game with a groin injury he sustained in Minnesota's 3-2 shootout win at Buffalo on March 5. ... With RW Kris Versteeg out Tuesday and still day to day with a foot injury that occurred when he was hit by a shot during the Kings' 2-1 home win over Boston last weekend, Los Angeles recalled F Nic Dowd from its Ontario AHL team on Tuesday. It marked the NHL debut for Dowd, who was a standout college player in Minnesota for St. Cloud State. ... Minnesota LW Thomas Vanek was a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game and for the fourth time this season. During the team's morning skate, Vanek admitted that he is frustrated but determined to keep working hard to get back into the lineup.