The LA Kings quest for the playoffs continues tonight as they travel to Winnipeg to take on the Central Division co-leader.
After the Kings thorough 3-1 victory last night against the hated Chicago Blackhawks, LA finds themselves two points behind the Anaheim Ducks for third in the Pacific Division and two points behind the Minnesota Wild for the second Wild Card position.
LA had goals from Torrey Mitchell, Andy Andreoff, and Dion Phaneuf to solidify their victory while Jonathan Quick stopped 27 shots for the win.
John Stevens has decided to go with a lineup that is more spread out offensively than it has in the past by moving Tyler Toffoli down to the third line in order to increase scoring. So far it has had an impact with the third and fourth line providing a lot of supplementary scoring the last couple of games.
It is also nice for Kings fans to see Phaneuf make an early impact on his young LA Kings career by getting two goals in his first three games. His game as a solid physical defenseman fits in well with the Kings suffocating style.
“I thought he was terrific tonight,… said Stevens after the game. “Not just the goals he scored, but what I like about him as an offensive player is every time he gets the puck he’s looking at the net. If there’s not a lane, he’s still trying to get it down low, bank it off a wall but he’s always looking at the net and good things happen when you’re looking at the net.…
For the Blackhawks, it was their eighth loss in their last nine games in what has been an absolute dismal season for the three-time Cup champions in this decade.
The Kings will move onto the Winnipeg where they face a Jets team that has surpassed everyone expectations for this season. After finishing fifth in the Central Division and seven points out of the playoffs during the 2016-17 campaign, the Jets are fighting with the Nashville Predators for top spot in the Central Division.
They are led by Connor Hellebuyck who is second in the NHL in wins with 31 and 2.33 GAA, as well as tied for fifth with a .923 save percentage. He should be the conversation and a finalist for the Vezina Trophy this season.
Up front it’s been Blake Wheeler leading the way offensively with 16 goals and 67 points in 59 games. This places him seventh in the league in the Art Ross chase, 10 points behind Nikita Kucherov. Wheeler, combined with super sophomore, Patrik Laine, has helped make the Jets a more dynamic team in the top six.
Coming into tonight’s game, the Jets have won five of their last seven games, including a 7-2 drumming over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night. They are currently trying to solidify themselves as a Stanley Cup contender and will try to keep pace with the division rival Nashville Predators, who play the Detroit Red Wings tonight.
With the Kings on the second half of a back-to-back, Darcy Kuemper is expected to make the start in Winnipeg. The 27-year-old netminder is 9-1-3 this season as Quick’s backup with a 2.04 GAA and .934 save percentage in his 18 appearances.