Kings fall in overtime at Winnipeg, ending their seven-game winning streak
Mark Scheifele scored 32 seconds into overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 victory over the Kings on Saturday night.
Kyle Connor and Dylan DeMelo also scored for the Jets (8-3-3), who won their second in a row. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots.
In the extra period, Nikolaj Ehlers brought the puck up the ice and passed to Scheifele, who fired a one-timer from near the left circle for his first goal of the season.
“It felt good,” Scheifele said of finally getting a goal. “It was a great pass by Nikky. It felt good to end that one. It was a grind of a game. We started to pick [up] our game towards the end of that third period, started to play a little more grinding style, and you need to be able to pull those ones off in this league.”
The Kings and Ducks haven’t made the playoffs since 2018, but their play early in the NHL season is creating some optimism.
Jets coach Paul Maurice was happy to see Scheifele get on the scoreboard.
“A bunch of guys have had some chances that haven’t scored,” he said. “Those guys who get paid to put pucks in the net and produce points have to have one go for them. Hopefully for Nikky as well, the setup on the goal, and for Mark, that can get them back into a positive frame of mind with the puck.”
Carl Grundstrom and Brendan Lemieux scored for the Kings (8-5-2), whose seven-game winning streak ended. Cal Petersen had 20 saves.
DeMelo tied the score 2-2 with the Jets short-handed with 6:24 left in the third period. Andrew Copp set him up for a clear shot that beat Petersen for DeMelo’s first goal with Winnipeg and first since March 21, 2019, when he was with Ottawa.
“Obviously, a huge relief. There was definitely some frustration,” DeMelo said. “When you play defense, you’re not relied on to score. You want to contribute, and there’s no feeling like scoring a goal. It was nice to get that one. Obviously the timing of it was crucial. To be able to contribute in that sense, it feels really good.”
Lemieux gave the Kings a 2-1 lead with 5:38 left in second period when he pounced on the rebound of a shot by Blake Lizotte.
“Lot of friends over there,” said Lemieux, who played 53 games with Winnipeg between 2017 and 2019. “Anytime you go into the third period up and you don’t come out with two points, it [is terrible]. It feels like a loss, but, in the grand scheme of things, we definitely see this trip as a win.
“You’re playing against a good, offensive-minded hockey team that’s playing at home and has been dangerous at home all year, and it’s going to be tight and it’s going to be a bounce or two here and there.”
The Jets opened the scoring just 1:59 into the game as Connor picked up his team-leading 11th when he pounced on his own rebound after a point shot by Logan Stanley.
“It’s a game that we’re all disappointed in because it got away on us because I thought we played a real solid game, maybe one of the better ones on the road,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “We checked, we were first to a lot of pucks. We had a tenacity to us that was real good. I think we had a really good hockey club frustrated.
“Two special situations — one on the power play and one in overtime — gave them a chance at a win. That part is disappointing.”
Grundstrom tied it at 4:02 when his shot from a bad angle beat Hellebuyck over the shoulder.
Up next, the Kings host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night to open a stretch of seven straight at home. The Jets host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night in the opener of a home-and-home set.
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