There’s something about 4-1 games for the Winnipeg Jets right now.
After beating the Penguins 4-1 Friday, losing to Nashville 4-1 Saturday and knocking off Minnesota 4-1 Monday, the Jets looked slow and weary in a 4-1 loss in Los Angeles Wednesday night.
Things did not begin well for the Jets as Vladislav Namestnikov took a bad slashing penalty just 1:48 into the game and the Kings immediately made Winnipeg pay.
Los Angeles won the ensuing faceoff and just four seconds after the puck dropped, Anze Kopitar tipped an Adrian Kempe point shot past Connor Hellebuyck to make it 1-0.
The Kings continued to control play for the bulk of the first period, ending the frame with a 13-5 advantage in shots on goal but the score remained 1-0.
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Winnipeg got a glorious opportunity to level the score when Rasmus Kupari was slashed on a breakaway early in the second, earning him a penalty shot. Kupari tried to deke out David Rittich but he got in too deep and stuffed his attempt into Rittich’s left pad.
The Kings widened the gap at the 7:10 mark. Alex Turcotte got the puck in the corner in the Winnipeg end and hit a cutting Phillip Danault, who had eluded the check of Cole Perfetti on the boards. Danault had enough time to drive the net and get stopped by Hellebuyck but still be able to bang home the rebound before Perfetti or Nikolaj Ehlers could get to the crease.
Just over two minutes later, the Jets got on the board. Nine seconds after Tanner Jeannot went to the box for slashing, former King Gabriel Vilardi banged home a loose puck in front to make it 2-1.
The Jets had another power play look later in the period and Josh Morrissey struck iron on that chance but Winnipeg couldn’t find the back of the net.
It stayed 2-1 into the third before the Kings grabbed an insurance marker at the 5:21 mark of the third. Kevin Fiala’s shot from distance was heading wide but it glanced off the skate of Haydn Fleury in front of Hellebuyck and into the net.
The Kings tacked on one more into an empty net as Kempe scored with just under three minutes left.
Winnipeg managed just two shots in the third period and only 14 for the game while Los Angeles put 33 shots on net, 29 of which were stopped by Hellebuyck in defeat.
The Jets continue their six-game road trip Friday in Vegas against the Golden Knights. Pregame coverage on 680 CJOB starts at 5:30 p.m. with the game action starting just after 7:30.
