WINNIPEG – It was a strong start and a solid finish for the Winnipeg Jets, the problem was in between.
The Los Angeles Kings ended the Jets’ three game win streak with a 4-3 victory on Tuesday at Bell MTS Place.
The Jets dominated the first period as they outshot the Kings 16-5, but the momentum shifted in the second as the Kings turned the tables with a two goal middle period and then added two more in the final frame.
“They picked up their speed a little bit,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “Some untimely penalties, penalty kill is kind of leaking oil right now so, just kinda wrong penalties at the wrong time. They capitalized, stole the momentum.”
The Jets managed only five shots on goal in the second period after a strong showing in the first.
“We were getting pucks deep, we were getting pucks behind their D (defence) and making them turn and grinding that way.” Mark Scheifele said. “After that we kind of got away from that. We tried to make plays in the neutral zone and that obviously cost us.”
Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien and Patrik Laine scored goals for the Jets while the Kings had markers from Alec Martinez, Dion Phaneuf, Torrey Mitchell and Dustin Brown.
“All of this gets wrapped in to when we skate we’re a good team, when we don’t skate we’re not, but that would be true of any team in the National League.” head coach Paul Maurice said. “We skated really well in the first period, but we didn’t skate particularly well after that.”
Both teams surrendered a pair of powerplay goals as the Kings and Jets both finished the night 2-for-5 with the man advantage.
“I’m not going to beat them up in front of you tonight.” Maurice said.
“We’ll deal with that game before St. Louis’ game but we’ve played pretty well. I don’t think that’s the way our team is going to play.”
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 28 of the 32 shots he faced as the Jets ended up outshooting L.A. 33 to 32.
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The Kings took two early penalties to give the Jets a 5-on-3 powerplay and the Jets struck early into the man advantage. Wheeler stepped into the circle and fired a wrist shot into the top corner to give the Jets the early upper hand. Byfuglien and Laine had the assists on Wheeler’s 17th goal of the season.
The Jets controlled the bulk of the play in the opening period as they outshot the Kings 16-5 but had just the one goal to show for it.
The Kings scored the equalizer on a powerplay of their own less than two minutes into period number two. With Tanner Pearson parked in front of Hellebuyck providing the screen, Martinez scored on the point shot through the crowd for his sixth of the campaign. Pearson and Adrian Kempe drew the assists and the game was tied.
The Kings took their first lead with 2:55 remaining in the middle stanza. Phaneuf hammered the one timer past Hellebuyck. The assists on Phaneuf’s sixth goal of the season went to Martinez and Michael Amadio.
The Jets answered right back though. Byfuglien’s slap shot ricocheted off Anze Kopitar’s stick and in behind Darcy Kuemper. It was just his fourth goal of the season as Tyler Myers and Jack Roslovic picked up the assists.
It was 2-2 through two periods despite a dominating period by Los Angeles. They outshot the Jets 16-5 in the period.
Midway through the third period the Kings retook the lead. The loose puck bounced right to Mitchell and he slid the puck under Hellebuyck for the go ahead goal. His fifth goal of the season was assisted by Kempe and Jake Muzzin.
With 4:06 left in the third the Kings added an insurance marker. From behind the net, Tyler Toffoli spotted Brown in front and he sent it past Hellebuyck for his 17th to make it a 4-2 lead.
With only 49 seconds left to play, Laine scored on his patented slapper to make it a one goal game. Wheeler and Bryan Little picked up the assists but the Jets just ran out of time.
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Marko Dano and Tucker Poolman were both healthy scratches. Jacob Trouba, Adam Lowry, Shawn Matthias, Brandon Tanev, Steve Mason and Michael Hutchinson all missed the game with injuries.
That concludes the Jets 10 game homestand as they now hit the road for a pair of games starting with the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
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