EditorsNote: Fixes typo in sixth graph
Anze Kopitar scored on the power play early in the third period and the visiting Los Angeles Kings fended off the Winnipeg Jets for a 3-2 victory Tuesday night to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
Austin Wagner and Kurtis MacDermid also scored for the Kings, and Jonathan Quick made 26 saves in the victory. The Kings killed off a Jets power play over the final minute after Jeff Carter was called for tripping.
Quick was in net for each of the last two Los Angeles victories after going 0-3-0 over his first three starts, allowing 19 goals in those defeats.
Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers scored goals for the Jets, who fell to 2-4-0 at home. They have been outscored 19-13 in their own building.
Kopitar's fourth goal of the season came nearly six minutes into the third period after he took a pass from Drew Doughty at the blue line and moved in on Connor Hellebuyck, flipping the puck past the Jets goalie's left shoulder from near point-blank range.
The Kings scored first when Wagner delivered at the 10:32 mark of the first period. Jets defenseman Dmitry Kulikov got tied up with Hellebuyck, who was out of position and not able to stop Wagner's second goal of the season.
The Jets tied the score 1-1 at 17:07 of the opening period when Ehlers forced a turnover in the Kings zone, with Bryan Little finding Connor for a goal from the slot. It was Connor's fourth of the season.
The Kings regained the lead 2-1 at 4:16 of the second period on a play that referees originally let continue. The arena horn stopped the action moments later after it was determined on replay that MacDermid's shot completely entered the goal.
MacDermid not only scored his first goal of the season and second of his career, it came at Winnipeg where his father Paul MacDermid played for parts of three seasons in the late 1980s.
The Jets tied the score 2-2 at 12:28 of the second period when Ehlers scored his fourth of the season on a long-range blast through traffic in front of Quick.
--Field Level Media
