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Jets top Kings in wild shootout win

Jan 11, 2015 - 6:47 AM Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Bryan Little had the lone shootout goal to boost the Winnipeg Jets to a wild 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.

The Jets scored three goals on their first three shots of the night, all within the first 6:39 of the contest, but couldn't sustain the lead, yet snapped a two-game skid.

"That was a game you like to be a part of, especially the first period," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "I'm not just talking about the score; the physicality of it, the intensity, and lots of big hits going both ways. It was fun."

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick made an incredible sprawling save, falling backward with his left hand stopping a shot from Mathieu Perreault in the second round of the shootout.

In the fourth round, Little's wrist shot found the right side of the net. Mike Richards missed the net on his attempt to extend the shootout.

Little also scored in regulation, as did Blake Wheeler, Zach Bogosian and Perreault. Michael Hutchinson made 25 saves.

Quick stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who got goals from Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, Kyle Clifford and Justin Williams. The Kings suffered their third straight loss.

Perreault put the puck in the net from in front at the 3:39 mark of the first period. Only 52 seconds later, Wheeler skated into the offensive zone above the right circle and found a streaking Little in the bottom part of the same circle for the quick goal.

Wheeler made it 3-0 on the power play when he tried a center pass, but the puck deflected off the skate of Kings center Trevor Lewis and past Quick.

"Everyone individually has to step up, myself included," Kings defenseman Alec Martinez said. "We all have to take a little more ownership in our game, and play Kings' hockey. I'm confident this team will be successful if we do that. If we keep on digging ourselves in a hole in the first period like we've been doing, and giving up as many goals as we have been, it's going to be pretty difficult on us."

LA got back in the contest with a pair of goals in a 1:27 span later in the first, both power play tallies. The Kings were awarded a two-man advantage due to penalties from Jim Slater (delay of game) and Adam Lowry (slashing).

Kopitar scored on a rebound after Hutchinson stopped Doughty's one-timer from above the left circle. Williams then lit the lamp at the 15:58 mark off a loose puck in front.

It looked as if Jeff Carter tied the game 3 1/2 minutes into the second period when he was left alone on a breakaway. His backhander went high and hit the bottom of the crossbar and came straight down onto the ice. Replay officials determined the puck never cross the goal line.

The Kings deadlocked the game 1:29 into the third. Kopitar's centering pass deflected off the skate of Winnipeg's Toby Enstrom and right to Gaborik in front.

Clifford gave LA a 4-3 lead with 7:35 remaining in regulation. Lewis sent a centering pass from the left side to Clifford, and his attempt deflected off the left skate of Jets defenseman Mark Stuart and past Hutchinson.

Bogosian evened the game again with 5:56 left when his blast from above the right circle found its way through traffic.

Kopitar's blast in the high slot was deflected away with just over a minute left in OT. LA was given a power play in the final 31.5 seconds when Williams, who was cutting to the net, was held by Andrew Ladd.

Game Notes

Kings forward Tanner Pearson left the game late in the second period with a lower body injury after he was driven into the boards, legs-first by Jets defenseman Jay Harrison ... Kopitar and Doughty were named All-Stars Saturday, as was Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien ... The Kings have never lost a regulation game at home to the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrasher franchise (7-0-3) ... This is the first game between these two franchises that has gone to overtime and not ended in a goal by Winnipeg. The Kings are now 0-4-1 in overtime.