LOS ANGELES – David Rittich achieved a milestone in his career, securing his 100th victory while making 13 saves, as the Los Angeles Kings triumphed over the Winnipeg Jets, who currently lead the NHL, with a score of 4-1 on Wednesday night.
Captain Anze Kopitar contributed to the win with a goal and an assist, while teammates Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala found the back of the net. Adrian Kempe sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.
Gabriel Vilardi scored for the Jets against his former team, but it wasn’t enough to shift the outcome as Winnipeg suffered its fourth loss in seven games after starting the season strong at 15-1-0. Connor Hellebuyck, the Jets’ goaltender, saved 30 shots during the fourth match of their six-game road trip.
Rittich served as the backup to Hellebuyck last season with the Jets. Kopitar’s power play goal came just 1:52 into the game, courtesy of a deflection from a Kempe point shot. In the second period, Danault increased the Kings’ lead, skating through Winnipeg’s goal area unchallenged to score his second of the season, breaking a 10-game scoring drought.
Minutes later, Vilardi scored for Winnipeg by expertly capitalizing on a rebound just nine seconds into a power play, marking their first goal of the night.
However, in the early part of the third period, Fiala’s shot hit Haydn Fleury’s skate and redirected into the goal, giving him his eighth score of the season and ending his own eight-game scoring drought.
Takeaways from the game show that while the Jets have been an offensive powerhouse, they struggled against Los Angeles’ organized defense, managing only a season-low of 14 shots. Their impressive early-season scoring pace seems to have slowed, as evidenced by only three goals scored during their four losses over the past two weeks.
For the Kings, this match served as a crucial bounce-back performance after experiencing a heavy 7-2 defeat against the San Jose Sharks.
A critical moment in the game occurred when former Kings player Rasmus Kupari was awarded a penalty shot early in the second period. Rittich managed to stop it with a quick, outstretched pad, preserving the Kings’ lead.
Statistically, the Jets had not recorded fewer than 20 shots in any other game this season, but the Kings demonstrated their strength in limiting the offensive chances of their opponents.
Looking ahead, the Jets are set to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, while the Kings will head to Anaheim for the Freeway Faceoff following their Thanksgiving break.