Anze Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist in the Los Angeles Kings’ 4-1 win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
Los Angeles swept the season series with the Jets, winning the three games by a combined 10-3 margin.
The Kings (42-23-9, 93 points) are 28-4-4 on home ice and have the best home points percentage (.833) in the NHL.
Trevor Moore scored the Kings’ other goal. Darcy Kuemper stopped 18 of 19 shots to earn his 26th win of the season.
Acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers at the trade deadline, Kuzmenko has been sparked by the change of scenery. Kuzmenko has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 14 games with Los Angeles, after recording a modest 20 points in 44 games before the trade.
The loss ended Winnipeg’s three-game winning streak. The Jets (51-20-4, 106 points) remain atop the NHL standings.
Cole Perfetti scored the Jets’ only goal, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 16 of 19 shots.
Los Angeles built an early lead on two goals within an 82-second span in the first period, starting with Moore’s tip-in at the 8:28 mark. A Jets turnover in the neutral zone set up the Kings’ next tally, as Kopitar’s 19th goal finished off a nice tic-tac-toe passing play.
Perfetti put Winnipeg on the board 11:40 into the second period, taking the shot himself on a two-on-one rush with Kyle Connor. Emerging from the penalty box just as a Kings power play ended, Perfetti was in perfect position to take the puck and spark the Jets’ scoring play.
Kuzmenko restored the Kings’ two-goal lead on another two-on-one play and another neutral-zone turnover. Kuzmenko poked the puck away from Jets defenseman Logan Stanley, then used Kempe as a decoy before burying a wrist shot 16:07 into the second period.
Winnipeg had two power-play chances during the third period but couldn’t narrow the deficit. Kempe sealed Los Angeles’ win with an empty-net goal with 55 seconds left.