On the surface it sure seemed like the Winnipeg Jets “played down” to the level of a Los Angeles Kings team that at this point is just playing out the last string of games and had lost 15 of their last 18 games and maybe there is a bit of truth to that.

I think though we should put a positive spin in this and consider it a case of “load management” for the Jets where they did just enough and actually got better as the game went on in a 3-2 victory over the Kings.

“Playing down to their level” is exactly what the Jets did in the first period. Maybe it was the west coast start time, perhaps it was not knowing what kind of Kings side that would come out to greet the Jets, maybe the Jets even overlooked the Kings a touch. The bottom line is the Kings out-skated and out-shot the Jets and yet somehow the Jets got past the first twenty minutes with a 2-1 lead.

Hockey is a funny sport.

Kevin Hayes scored on a bit of a scramble in front of Kings goalie Jack Campbell and then minutes later on a power play Kyle Connor scored from pretty much the same spot on a once again sprawling Campbell.

The Kings do get on the board themselves near the end of the period to cut the lead in half with a long distance shot that gets past five Jets standing around and a bewildered Laurent Brossoit.

Winnipeg gets going with a better second period effort although they aren’t really rewarded for it as penalty issues put them shorthanded and the Kings take advantage to tie things up after Brandon Tanev breaks a stick while short handed and the Kings score on what was in essence a 5 on 3.5 powerplay. The Jets continued to find their way to the penalty box and for a little while it looked like it would put them behind, but a scramble play at the end of a Kings power play turns into a two on one rush back the other way with a penalty box exiting Patrik Laine and Tyler Myers. Myers defies all logic and reason by keeping the puck and sniping it top corner on Jack Campbell to re-take the lead 3-2.

For all the good work that the Jets do in the period – they out-shoot the Kings 12-7 in the period and lead in 5 on 5 scoring chances by a 10-7 margin – that they are only up by one after forty minutes over a rather pesky Kings squad is a bit concerning, but the middle frame of play is at least much better than the first.

Just like they did against Calgary in their previous game, the Jets rode out a one goal lead through the entirety of the third period. This time though they were a little more proactive in their defending of it and did a pretty good job locking down the Kings and keeping the puck on the LA side of the ice for most of the final frame. Winnipeg’s forecheck was pretty strong and generated a handful of scoring chances even if they were a bit from distance. The Kings don’t get a shot until around the thirteen minute mark of the period and are limited to just two in total.