Adrian Kempe scored the eventual game-winner and Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves as the Los Angeles Kings blanked the visiting Winnipeg Jets 3-0 on Tuesday night.
Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty also scored for the Kings, who snapped a two-game skid (0-1-1) and won for the first time on home ice (1-3-2).
The shutout was Kuemper’s first of the season and first against the Jets in his career.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 23 shots as Winnipeg saw its three-game winning streak come to an end. The loss was the first on the road this season for the Jets (4-1-0).
Fiala doubled the Kings’ lead at 15:00 of the third on a power play, ripping a shot high glove-side past Hellebuyck for his sixth of the season.
Doughty added an empty-netter with 54 seconds remaining – his 162nd career goal – the most amongst defensemen in Kings history.
Kempe opened the scoring at 17:09 of the first period, one-timing a Joel Armia pass past Hellebuyck for his sixth of the season.
Winnipeg thought it had opened the scoring at 8:23 of the first as Josh Morrissey’s point shot got past Kuemper, but officials on the ice indicated there was goaltender interference on the play. The Jets unsuccessfully challenged to have the call overturned.
Adam Lowry made his season debut after missing the first 12 games recovering from offseason hip surgery. The Jets captain had 14:08 of ice time. Lowry took the spot of Morgan Barron, who is out week-to-week with an injury sustained in Winnipeg’s 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 1.
Armia played in career game No. 600 while veteran Kings forward Corey Perry became the fourth active player to appear in 1,400 games.
Tuesday was the second of three meetings. Winnipeg edged Los Angeles 3-2 on Oct. 11. The Kings and Jets wrap up the season series Jan. 9 in Winnipeg.
–Field Level Media
