The Kings have won five straight games after defeating the Jets 2-1 in overtime. This gives Los Angeles a 2-0 record against Winnipeg so far this season.
The Jets have accumulated 59 points and rank at the top of the Central Division. While the Jets are a very good team, the Kings have had their number.
This is in large part due to the physicality the Kings have brought to the Jets. The aggressive defense from the Kings slowed down the Jets and allowed for Los Angeles to control the puck on offense.
In both of the victories, the Kings generated more shots on goal and hits. The Kings had 56 shots while the Jets only attempted 33. Los Angeles has also delivered 65 hits while the Jets only had 49.
Although the Kings have won both matchups against the Jets, they have also defeated the Stars and Wild. Similar to their matchup with the Jets, the Kings dictated either shots on goal or physicality, which allowed them to beat both those teams.
In the game against the Stars, the Kings had 32 hits while Dallas only had eight. After Dallas took a 2-0 lead, the hits Los Angeles dished out were able to slow down the Stars’ offense. The Stars were held scoreless in the last two periods, which allowed the Kings to come back for a 3-2 victory.
On the flip side, the shots on goal were the biggest advantage the Kings had against the Wild. The Kings had outshot the Wild 34-23, which created easy offense for the Kings. Los Angeles would go on to dominate in a 4-1 victory.
Goaltending was also outstanding for the Kings against all three of these opponents. Los Angeles recorded a save percentage of .929 or better in the four victories.
The Kings have tallied a 4-0 record against the top three teams in the Central. This proves that the Kings can match up well against these contenders in the playoffs.
