The Winnipeg Jets began their six-game road trip with a disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. This marked the first time this season that captain Adam Lowry participated in a game, but his presence did not translate into offensive success for the Jets.
Despite Lowry”s return and an attempt to generate scoring opportunities, Winnipeg struggled throughout the match. Early in the first period, the Jets believed they had scored when a shot from Josh Morrissey was inadvertently pushed into the net by Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper. However, officials disallowed the goal, citing contact from Gabriel Vilardi on Kuemper prior to the shot. The Jets challenged the ruling, but the initial decision was upheld, resulting in a penalty against Winnipeg that was offset when Anze Kopitar received a high-sticking penalty.
The Kings took the lead at 17:08 of the first period when Joel Armia set up Adrian Kempe, who found space in the slot and scored. This goal came after a series of missed opportunities for the Jets, who ended the first period with a shot count of 7-5 in favor of Los Angeles.
Neither team could find the net in the second period, with the Kings outshooting the Jets 11-8. Both squads failed to convert on power-play chances, and Winnipeg”s ongoing difficulties with the man advantage continued into the third period. The Jets squandered two more power-play opportunities, which proved costly as they found themselves in penalty trouble.
Midway through the third, Parker Ford received a penalty for shooting the puck over the glass, and shortly thereafter, Vladislav Namestnikov was given a double-minor for high-sticking. Despite a valiant effort to kill off the penalties, Kevin Fiala capitalized on a perfect shot that found the back of the net with 46 seconds remaining in the double-minor, extending the Kings” lead to 2-0.
In an attempt to mount a comeback, the Jets pulled Connor Hellebuyck from the net with under three minutes left. However, Drew Doughty sealed the game by scoring into the empty net with 54 seconds left, finalizing the score at 3-0. Hellebuyck ended the night with 23 saves, while Kuemper matched that total to earn the shutout.
In his first game of the season, Lowry logged 14 minutes and 8 seconds of ice time, making an impact with four hits and two blocked shots, although he struggled in the faceoff circle, winning just one of 13 attempts. The Jets will look to bounce back as they continue their West Coast trip with a visit to San Jose on Friday night.
