Kings dominate Jets on special teams for 5-2 win

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This article was published 24/03/2017 (3155 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOS ANGELES – The Winnipeg Jets started Thursday’s game at Staples Center as league leaders in two dubious categories.

They led the NHL in giving up short-handed situations (252) and had surrendered the most power-play chances in the third period (83).

On Thursday, the Jets added to those totals as the Los Angeles Kings scored three times in four power-play opportunities, including twice in a span of 1:56 in the third period en route to a 5-2 triumph before a sellout crowd of 18,230.

Marian Gaborik and and Drew Doughty potted goals with the extra man and Tanner Pearson added a short-handed effort for good measure in the final frame to break open a 2-2 game.

The Jets, who fell to 33-34-7 and are well back in the race for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference, failed in a bid to win their fourth consecutive game after entering the game on their second three-game winning streak of the season.

Winnipeg’s game started to slide in the middle period and completely fell apart in the third.

“They had a good push in the second and the scored a couple of power-play goals that kinda turned the game over,” said Jets forward Mathieu Perreault. “And they took over the game in the third period.”

Winnipeg’s penalty-killing unit has now given up 10 goals in 27 opportunities over its last seven games.

“Our PK’s been kinda struggling and if you’re in the box a lot, it’s definitely not helping the team,” said Perreault. “Yeah, we’ve gotta stay out of the box if we want any chance of winning games.”

The Jets wrap up their two-game road trip in Southern California with a matchup tonight against the Anaheim Ducks (9 p.m., TSN3, TSN 1290).

It was an exceptionally frustrating night for Jets head coach Paul Maurice.

“We had some awfully long defensive zone shifts,” said Maurice of the second period. “We had one at 1:48, had to take a timeout. They got in on our backend pretty good and (we) started piling up some penalties.”

The Kings, who improved to 35-31-7 but are no longer a factor in the race for the final wild-card spot, showed a physical superiority over the depleted Jets, who dressed three defencemen (Nelson Nogier, Julian Melchiori and Brian Strait) who have spent most of the season in the American Hockey League.

“It’s not a matter of laziness,” said Maurice. “We just got into tough spots we weren’t physically able to get on the right side of the puck and be strong on it.”

Perreault opened the scoring with a nifty tip of Brian Strait’s point shot, beating L.A. goaltender Ben Bishop for his 10th goal of the season. It was Perreault’s 17th point in 15 games and he would add an assist later in the period.

L.A.’s Anze Kopitar evened the game at 1-1, picking the top corner to beat Connor Hellebuyck on the power play.

Patrik Laine gave the Jets a 2-1 lead in the closing moments of the first period, finding yet another way to score a goal. Setting up on the left side during a 5-on-3 power play, Laine’s one-timer on a feed from Dustin Byfuglien was deflected wide of the net and the puck bounced back before Bishop inadvertently back-heeled it into the net.

The marker gave Laine a 34-33 lead over Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the rookie goal-scoring derby. It also gave Laine a 61-60 edge over Matthews in the freshman points race. Matthews had two assists in Toronto’s 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils Thursday night.

Jake Muzzin tied the game at 2-2 late in the middle frame, firing a point shot that eluded Hellebuyck, who was effectively screened by Jeff Carter on the play.

Maurice did not have an update on the condition of Byfuglien, who left the game in the third period with an unspecified injury.

 

NOTEWORTHY

Rookie defenceman Nelson Nogier, recalled from AHL’s Manitoba Moose to make his NHL debut in a 3-2 win over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday night, became the 14th player to be drafted and play for the team since franchise relocated from Atlanta in 2011.

Defenceman Jacob Trouba (upper body) missed his fifth consecutive game Thursday. He could be cleared to play tonight against the Ducks.

Forward Brandon Tanev, recalled from the AHL, took Marko Dano’s spot on Winnipeg’s fourth line.

The Jets went 1-for-4 on the power play.