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LOS ANGELES — It’s the end of the road for the Winnipeg Jets tonight as they wrap up a four-game trip here in La-La Land. And a valid argument could be made that the NHL schedule makers saved the best for last.
The Kings are a force to be reckoned with, boasting a .720 winning percentage that trails only the Vegas Golden Knights, the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers for tops in the league. And they were nicely tucked into their beds Tuesday night, getting plenty of rest, as the Jets were playing 340 miles north of here against the San Jose Sharks, then took an hour-long plane ride which had them in their hotel rooms in the wee hours.
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Winnipeg lost that game 2-1, snapping the Sharks’ four-game losing streak in rather surprising fashion against an opponent that began the night with the NHL’s worst winning percentage.
“It’s a new game. Get (Tuesday) out of the way and not think about it,” Jets centre Cole Perfetti told the Free Press. “L.A. is a great team, a top team in the conference, so it’s going to be tough sledding. We are really going to have to put our work boots on and work really hard. It’s all about getting good recovery from (Tuesday night). We’ll look at the good, what we can take from it, clean up our mistakes. It’s going to be a different game (tonight), it’ll be a different style; they play a little different. So, it’s going to be fun. The effort is there, but now the puck just has to go in the net.”
Winnipeg’s power play is a mess, going 0-for-5 in San Jose and 0-for-11 on the road trip. Not having top scorer Kyle Connor, who suffered a significant knee injury on Sunday in Anaheim (and is out for six to eight weeks), doesn’t help the cause.
Connor Hellebuyck vs. Cam Talbot is the expected goalie matchup. The Jets went 11/7 last night but are expected to return to a traditional 12/6 lineup. That means Axel Jonsson-Fjallby should draw back in as the 12th forward, although Dominic Toninato was recalled earlier today from the Manitoba Moose and could be an option, too. We believe defenceman Nate Schmidt will play, with Logan Stanley and Declan Chisholm as the healthy scratches on the blue line. However, Winnipeg did not hold a morning skate today to provide any lineup clues, so the pre-game warmup at 9 p.m. CT will ultimately tell the tale.
Here’s some additional information to get you set for the game:
From the press box
MIKE SAYS: Normally, a team might have a tough time getting the legs going and juices flowing when playing on the road for a second night in a row, but I don’t suspect that should be an issue here. The Jets, to put it mildly, feel they have a score to settle with the Kings. You’ll recall, way back on Oct. 17, Blake Lizotte tripped up Gabe Vilardi, ultimately causing a sprained MCL which would sideline the new Jets power forward for 18 games. Upon returning to action late last month, Vilardi pulled no punches when speaking about his former Kings teammate.
“It’s a stupid play,” said Vilardi. “And it’s frustrating to think that guy sits in the box for two minutes and then I have to deal with what I’ve dealt with for the past month and a half.”
Vilardi and Lizotte spent four years together in southern California prior to last summer’s blockbuster trade.
“I’ve played with him a lot. He’s done a lot of little things like that,” said Vilardi.
Naturally, you wonder if some form of attempted payback will come tonight. Of course, beating the Kings on the scoreboard would be a solid form of revenge. The Jets can try and empty whatever they have left in the tank, as they’ll have two days to recover before opening a four-game homestand on Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche.
Finally, this provides another up-close look at old friend Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is playing centre on the third line and has just 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 25 games. Safe to say the Kings expect a lot more offence for a guy they just signed to an eight-year contract that pays US$8.5 million per season.
Cam Talbot is 12-4-1 with a 1.91 GAA and .931 S% in 18 games. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press files)
KEN SAYS: The offensive well ran a bit dry in the Jets first game without Connor in the loss to the Sharks, but that was more about finishing ability than opportunities created. It’s way too early to suggest it’s going to be a trend, though goals should be at a premium tonight as the Kings are among the stingiest teams in the NHL.
Los Angeles beat Winnipeg in their first of three meetings (5-1) and are one of those elite squads that other clubs around the NHL are measuring themselves against. Hellebuyck hasn’t been asked to be superhuman, but he’s been locked in during this eight-game stretch, allowing only 13 goals while significantly lowering his goals-against average (2.45) and raising his save percentage (.915).
Remember when most experts wondered if the Kings’ goaltending would hold up this season after Joonas Korpisalo departed in free agency to join the Ottawa Senators? We weren’t sure, either. To date, Talbot has alleviated most of the concerns with his brilliant play. He’s 12-4-1 with a 1.91 GAA and .931 S% in 18 games. Back to full health, Talbot looks like the guy who was an all-star with the Minnesota Wild and was between the pipes when the Calgary Flames ousted the Jets during the qualifying round in the bubble playoffs.
The Kings have been a dominant road team this season, setting an NHL record with an 11-game road winning streak to open the campaign, though that mark was snapped with Saturday’s loss to the New York Islanders. And it’s not just the usual suspects carrying the mail, though they’re clearly doing their part. Trevor Moore is off to a fantastic start with 13 goals and 22 points in 25 games, while Quinton Byfield (eight goals, 21 points in 25 games) is showing why he was the second-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft as he continues to flourish on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
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