The Los Angeles Kings are amid their longest points streak of the season — a stretch that began last month with a victory over the Winnipeg Jets, who appear back to their winning ways following a bumpy span.
Looking to run that points streak to 11 games, the host Kings will try to keep the visiting Jets from a third consecutive victory on Saturday.
Currently second in the Pacific Division, Los Angeles (41-20-10, 92 points) has outscored its opponents 42-23 during its 8-0-2 stretch – one game shy of matching the club record set in 1974 and matched in 2011 and 2013.
Adrian Kempe had two goals with an assist and Carl Grundstrom also scored twice as 14 players posted at least one point for the Kings, who matched their highest-scoring game of the season with Monday’s 8-2 rout of visiting Calgary to improve to 9-0-2 at home since the All-Star break.
“We find a way to keep playing our game,” said Grundstrom, who has recorded four of his career-high 11 goals in the last three games. “We have a real deep team. I think that’s going to be key for us to make a push here.”
The Kings began their impressive 10-game unbeaten run with a 6-5 shootout victory at Winnipeg on Feb. 28. Anze Kopitar scored four of those goals but has just two in nine games since.
Owner of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, Winnipeg (41-29-3, 85 points) has posted back-to-back one-goal victories following a 1-3-0 rut. Adam Lowry broke a 2-2 tie Thursday with his goal 10:47 into the third period for the Jets’ 3-2 win at Anaheim.
Winnipeg is 4-2-0 on the road after losing five of six away from home.
“We can only control how we play, we can’t control other teams chasing us, and the teams we’re chasing,” Lowry, who recorded his 200th point Thursday and has three in two games, told the Jets’ official website.
“We look at every game as an important one, that was no different (against the Ducks). I think we’re going to try to carry this momentum into our game (versus Los Angeles).”
Teammate Kyle Connor, Winnipeg’s leader with 74 points, recorded his first in seven games with a goal on Thursday. Connor has seven goals with six assists in his last 11 games versus Los Angeles.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has a 2.02 goals-against average while winning four of his last six starts. Winnipeg backup David Rittich has allowed nine goals during his last three starts.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ Pheonix Copley has a 1.58 GAA and .934 save percentage while going 4-0-1 in March. Newcomer Joonas Korpisalo has been simply stellar, posting a 1.96 GAA and .921 save percentage in going 3-0-1 since coming over from Columbus on March 1.
Kempe, one goal shy of equaling his career high of 35 set last season, has recorded six with three assists in the last eight games. However, he has just one point in seven career home games versus Winnipeg.
–Field Level Media