Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar each had a goal and an assist, helping the Los Angeles Kings post a 4-1 win against the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.
Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala added goals and Alex Laferriere had two assists for the Kings, who rebounded from a 7-2 road loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
David Rittich made 13 saves for Los Angeles, including one on a penalty shot by Rasmus Kupari, helping him earn his 100th NHL victory.
Gabriel Vilardi scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for the Jets, who are 3-4-0 since starting 15-1-0.
Los Angeles went on an early power play when Vladislav Namestnikov was whistled for slashing Danault.
Kopitar won the ensuing faceoff in the Winnipeg zone and Laferriere tapped the puck back to Adrian Kempe, who took a wrist shot from the left point. Kopitar deflected the puck past Hellebuyck for a 1-0 lead at 1:52 of the first period.
One of three penalties drawn by Kupari led to a penalty shot at 2:58 of the second period, but Rittich turned his attempt aside to maintain the one-goal advantage.
Danault made it 2-0 when he followed up his rebound that had fallen next to Hellebuyck’s left pad, shoveling it across the goal line before Hellebuyck could react to stretch the lead to 2-0 at 7:10 of the second period.
Winnipeg scored early in its third power play. Rittich tried to cover a loose puck but instead he knocked it free, and Vilardi was in position to chip it into the net, cutting the Jets’ deficit to 2-1 at 9:12 of the second.
The Kings re-established the two-goal cushion when Fiala brought the puck into the Winnipeg zone on a rush and his shot from above the left circle caromed through traffic and into the net for a 3-1 lead at 5:21 of the third.
Kempe scored into an empty net to make it 4-1 with 2:56 left.
The Jets did not have a shot on goal in the third period until 5:36 remained and managed just two overall in the last 20 minutes.
–Field Level Media
