LOS ANGELES (AP) – David Rittich made 13 saves in his 100th career win and captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-1 win over the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.
Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala also scored, and Adrian Kempe added an empty net goal for the Kings.
Gabriel Vilardi scored against his former team for the Jets, who have lost four of seven since starting the season 15-1-0. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 30 shots in the fourth game of Winnipeg’s six-game road trip.
Rittich was Hellebuyck’s backup for the 2022-23 Jets.
Kopitar deflected Kempe’s shot from the point on the power play just 1:52 into the game. Danault then skated unimpeded across Winnipeg’s goal for his second goal of the season, ending a 10-game drought.
Two minutes later, Vilardi picked up a rebound nine seconds into the power play for Winnipeg’s first goal.
Early in the period, however, Fiala put the puck in the net and took credit for his eighth goal when he knocked it off Haydn Fleury’s skate. The Swiss striker of Los Angeles ended an eight-game goal drought.
Takeaways
Jets: The offensive powerhouse struggled against a disciplined Los Angeles defense, managing a season-low 14 shots. Winnipeg’s early season goal production probably wasn’t sustainable, but the Jets have scored just three goals in four losses over the past two weeks combined.
Kings: A much-needed bounce-back performance after their humiliating 7-2 loss to basement-dwelling San Jose.
A key moment
Former Kings forward Rasmus Kupari was awarded a free kick early in the second period, but Rittich made a comfortable stop with his pad outstretched.
Key statistics
Winnipeg hasn’t had fewer than 20 shots in any game this season, but the Kings excel at limiting opponents’ chances.
Next
The Jets visit Vegas on Friday, while the Kings drive down to Anaheim on Friday morning for a road showdown after last year.
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AP NHL: xqb