What we learned from the Kings’ 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets

The Kings tied the score late and ultimately won the game in overtime, 3-2, against the Winnipeg Jets at Staples Center on Saturday night.

Jeff Carter lifted the Kings (22-17-4) with his 23rd goal and eighth game-winner of the season. The Jets (20-22-4) could not capitalize on strong special teams play, as they scored two power-play goals and extinguished all four of the Kings’ five-on-four advantages.

Here is what we learned from the game:

The Kings still like three-on-three overtime (a lot)

Carter’s goal improved the Kings to 9-1 in the three-on-three overtime format this season.

It took the Kings 1 minutes 36 seconds to win this one. Anze Kopitar, Jake Muzzin and Carter were on the ice. Kopitar started the goal-scoring sequence by shielding the puck along the boards and kicking a pass to Muzzin around the blue line. Muzzin then carried it into space, spotted Carter across the ice and delivered a pass that Carter one-timed past Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson.

The Kings have won three overtime games since the start of the new year. Tanner Pearson scored the game-winner in the previous two.

“Well, we were good at it last year, too, so we’re pretty well-versed in it I think,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said of his team’s success when the three-on-three format was initiated last season. “There were some things that we do, that obviously you’ve got to score. Jeff Carter has been pretty good at it.”

Kopitar is making it happen

Dustin Brown watched the game-winning goal from the bench, and Kopitar’s assist was what stood out most.

“[Kopitar] is the guy that really makes the play,” said Brown, who scored the equalizer late in the third period. “He plays it with his foot, and it’s plays like that that kind of separate him from pretty much the rest of us in here.”

It was Kopitar’s second assist of the game and just his second multi-point performance — both coming in the Kings’ last three contests — since Dec. 4. He is in a down year with four goals and 19 assists through 43 games, but that was not evident against the Jets.

In the first period, Kopitar worked along the boards and created enough space to scan the ice. That allowed him to hit a wide-open Marian Gaborik with a cross-ice pass, and Gaborik smacked it past Hutchinson for the Kings’ first goal.

“I think [Kopitar] has been getting looks, getting better,” Brown said. “I feel like every year, right around this time of year, he always finds a way to rack up points and help us win games.”

Steady as he goes

Peter Budaj, who gave up two goals in 28 shots, made a big save in overtime and skated off the ice with his 20th win of the season.

That was not only significant because it helped the Kings to two points in a tight Western Conference playoff picture. This is now Budaj’s first 20-win season since he made 56 appearances for the Colorado Avalanche in 2008–09.

The 34-year-old Budaj started the season with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League before an injury to Jonathan Quick forced the Kings to call him up. He backed up Jeff Zatkoff at the start but quickly earned the starting role. He has now made 37 appearances and has a 2.09 goals against average.

On Saturday he had a big hand in reaching a personal milestone.

“Huge. That kept us in there,” Muzzin said of Budaj’s key save of a Blake Wheeler’s shot in overtime. “Gave us a chance to tie and we rewarded him by doing that. Team effort there.”

jesse.dougherty@latimes.com

Twitter: @dougherty_jesse