Kings at Jets
Jonathan Quick is back to resembling one of the top goaltenders in the world, and consequently the Los Angeles Kings look like a Western Conference powerhouse again. Quick has surrendered just four goals in his last four games and the Kings go after their sixth straight win Tuesday against the host Winnipeg Jets -- following a 0-3-0 start to the season.
Quick earned NHL third-star of the week honors Monday, one day after recording 26 saves and stopping Connor McDavid’s last-second shot in Los Angeles’ 3-2 victory at Edmonton. The Kings allowed 12 goals in their opening three losses but have suffocated opposing offenses since, giving up five during their winning streak. The Jets begin a week which will serve as an early-season barometer with home contests against the past two Stanley Cup champions (Los Angeles and Chicago), following Sunday’s 5-4 victory over Minnesota. Drew Stafford scored twice, giving him four in three games, as the Jets snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the Wild.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE KINGS (5-3-0): Los Angeles’ offense also stumbled out of the gate, but after scoring two goals in their opening 180 minutes of the season, the Kings have trailed for a grand total of 82 seconds in the past five contests. Tyler Toffoli’s four-game goal streak ended Sunday, but Milan Lucic has four points in the past three games. Quick, who stopped only 68 of 79 shots through three games, has a .966 save percentage since, making 40 saves Friday in a shutout victory over Carolina.
ABOUT THE JETS (5-2-1): Stafford scored twice in a 3:43 span Sunday, giving the forward five goals in eight games – and 14 in 34 games since Winnipeg acquired him from Buffalo in the Evander Kane deal last February. Rookie forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored his third goal in the past five games Sunday while Blake Wheeler extended his point streak to a franchise record to open a season (eight) with two assists, and boasts six points in the past four contests. The Jets were fifth in the league on the power play (24 percent) through Sunday, but have converted just two of their past 13 chances.
OVERTIME
1. Jets F Alexander Burmistrov was fined $4,166.67 Monday by the NHL for elbowing Minnesota D Jared Spurgeon in the second period Sunday.
2. The win streak has vaulted the Kings into a first-place tie with San Jose in the Pacific Division and Los Angeles is 2-0-0 on the road, one of five unbeaten teams away from home (Montreal, Washington, Boston, Vancouver).
3. Los Angeles C Anze Kopitar scored his 221st career goal Sunday, moving within one of Charlie Simmer for seventh on the Kings’ all-time list.