Kings beat Jets 3-0 for first home win – The Hockey Writers – Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings look for their first home win when they host the Winnipeg Jets at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. The Kings have just two regular-season wins in their last 13 games and have yet to give fans a win at home, while the Jets enter tonight’s game with four wins in their last five and are second in the league.
game review
Less than 20 seconds into the game, Anze Kopitar, looking for his first goal of the season, had a great opportunity in front of Jets superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, but couldn’t convert.
The Kings’ power play has looked pretty lifeless so far this season, with its first opportunity early in the first quarter being negated by the odd too many man penalty. The Jets thought they opened the scoring on Josh Morrissey’s spot-up shot, but it was called off due to goaltender interference. The Jets challenged the play but were unsuccessful and allowed the Kings to go on their second power play of the game.
Once again, the Kings’ power play didn’t last long, with Kopitar’s sticky minors wiping much of it out.
The Kings were on the clock with less than three minutes left in the game. Joel Armia, who was promoted to the first team, set up Adrian Kempe for his 200th NHL goal.
During the Jets’ early drive in the second period, Darcy Kuemper needed to make several big saves to keep the Jets off the scoreboard. The Kings answered that push with some high-danger chances the rest of the way, but ultimately, neither team was able to put the score on the scoresheet.
The tense situation continued into the third quarter, with neither side having much time or space.
The Kings got their fifth power play of the night, which turned into a 5-on-3 with 49 seconds left, when Corey Perry, in his 1,400th NHL game, was lifted for a double by Namestnikov. Kevin Fiala beat a Hellebuyck glove with 47 seconds left to double the Kings’ lead with five minutes left in regulation.
Drew Doughty sealed the deal with an empty-net goal, making him the first in Kings defenseman history. Kuemper held his ground the rest of the game, stopping all 22 of the Jets’ shots and earning his first shutout of the 2025-26 season.
The Kings won their first home victory and improved their record to 6 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses, while the Jets dropped to 9 wins, 4 draws and 0 losses this season.
The Kings’ elite opponents don’t stop there, as they take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Thursday, while the Jets travel to Northern California to take on the San Jose Sharks on Friday.
