The Winnipeg Jets lost to the hottest team in the National Hockey League Tuesday night at MTS Centre.

Milan Lucic scored the winner with 4:41 left in the third period as the Los Angeles Kings defeated Winnipeg 4-1.

Tyler Toffoli and Trevor Lewis added empty net goals in the final minute.

The Kings have won six games in a row.

"That was a tight game, there was not a lot going on," said Jets forward Drew Stafford. "Chances were pretty low for the most part.  We knew that the goal that was going to put it forward was going to be a greasy one, someone going to the net and making some kind of play like that. We had a couple of good chances in the third. Myself, I had a great chance in the slot but I missed the net. It could have put us up.  A game like that against a team like that who play a very suffocating game and take away time and space so we knew that we needed to play a little more grimy, a little more greasy and we just didn’t get it done."

Nikolaj Ehlers had the lone goal for the Jets as he snapped a shot past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick at 8:45 of the second period.

Ehlers, who was chosen 9th overall by Winnipeg in the 2014 NHL draft, has scored in three consecutive games.

Los Angeles defenseman Jake Muzzin's blast from the point beat a screened Ondrej Pavelec with 4:10 remaining in the middle frame.

Muzzin's first of  the season tied the game at 1-1.

The Jets (5-3-1) wrap up their six-game homestand Thursday night when they meet the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

 

photos by Ray Peters