As soon as once more, the Los Angeles Kings took care of enterprise at house. This time, selecting up two big factors in a 4-1 win over the league-leading Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night time at Crypto.com Enviornment. With that win, the Kings swept the season collection towards the Jets, beating them in all three conferences.
The Jets rank on the prime of the NHL in most classes, together with objectives for and purpose differential, however for the third time this season, the Kings restricted the Jets to underneath 20 photographs and only one purpose. The Kings’ prime line shined as all three forwards picked up two factors, Joel Edmundson tied his profession excessive in factors, and goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who now has an 8-2-0 file towards the Jets all time, stopped 18 of 19 photographs for a .947 save share (SV%).
Neither crew dominated, however the Kings’ transition recreation and offensive output off the frenzy had by no means regarded stronger. They stood their floor all through the impartial zone and their blue line earlier than capitalizing on their counter-attacks. Whether or not it’s the San Jose Sharks or the Jets, it’s going to take a spectacular efficiency to achieve success towards the Kings of their house constructing.
The Kings jumped as much as 93 factors, remaining two forward of the Edmonton Oilers as each groups proceed to battle for second within the Pacific Division.
Recreation Recap
The Jets got here out with an additional sense of urgency within the first interval, possessing the puck extra. Whereas they appeared to have the puck on their sticks much more than the Kings within the first, they didn’t generate multiple high-danger probability. As an alternative, it was the Kings capitalizing on turnovers and off the frenzy that led to them scoring two fast objectives halfway via the primary.
Jets defenseman Colin Miller turned the puck over with a weak rim across the boards that was intercepted by Edmundson on the level. Trevor Moore redirected Edmundson’s shot previous Connor Hellebuyck for his seventeenth purpose of the season to open the scoring. Lower than two minutes later, it was the Kings’ first line displaying some fairly passing as all three of Andrei Kuzmenko, Adrian Kempe, and Anze Kopitar obtained a contact of the puck earlier than Kopitar buried it into the open cage to increase the Kings’ result in two.
You received’t see a ton of probabilities when two defensively robust groups go at it, and that pattern continued for all the recreation. Each groups completed with 20 photographs or fewer. Jets ahead Cole Perfetti collected the puck straight out of the field after serving a tripping penalty on Hellebuyck midway via the second, to skate in on a 2-on-1 earlier than putting an ideal shot above Kuemper’s pad to get the Jets on the scoreboard.
It didn’t take the Kings longer than 5 minutes to reply as Kuzmenko determined to do all of it by himself, stripping the puck from Jets defenseman Logan Stanley within the impartial zone earlier than sliding one five-hole on Hellebuyck to provide the Kings a 3-1 lead.
The third interval was quiet relating to offensive manufacturing because the Kings had been content material with tightening up and letting this one play out. The Jets had two power-play alternatives within the third interval, however they couldn’t even generate a shot on purpose. With Hellebuyck pulled, Kempe picked up his 62nd level of the season, sealing the cope with an empty-netter to place the Kings up by three with lower than a minute remaining.
What’s Subsequent for the Kings & Jets
The Kings will head out on a mission to try to carry this identical efficiency on the street towards the Utah Hockey Membership on Thursday (April 3), whereas the Jets have a battle towards one other Western Convention powerhouse in Sin Metropolis on Thursday, taking over the Vegas Golden Knights.
