WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Chris Mason is making a strong case for more time in the Winnipeg Jets’ net.
The backup goalie keeps making the most of his limited opportunities, stopping all 31 shots he faced in the Jets’ 1-0 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
“Every game day is a little bit bigger of an event for me,” said the 35-year-old goalie, who earned his first shutout of the season.
Mason outdueled fellow backup Jonathan Bernier, who made 26 saves for the Kings (18-14-6) before Evander Kane scored 69 seconds into overtime to give the Jets (18-14-5) the win.
The sold-out arena erupted when Kane scooped the puck out of Bernier’s pads and fired it into the net for his team-leading 18th goal.
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Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane (right) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson fight during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday. (AP-Yonhap News) |
Winnipeg coach Claude Noel said having reliable goalies in Mason and regular starter Ondrej Pavelec is a good problem to have.
“He gives you no reason to not play him,” Noel said of Mason. “He continues to battle hard, he comes in cold. I mean, there can’t be a tougher job than what he has. He certainly gives a comfort level to your team.”
Kane played a physical game and had a brief fight with Kings defenseman Jack Johnson before scoring the game’s only goal. He said the Jets are equally comfortable with either goalie behind them.
“He’s been rock solid for us anytime he’s had to come in,” Kane said of Mason. “We have a lot of confidence in him, as we do with Pavelec.”
The Kings are 3-0-2 since Darryl Sutter took over as coach. Sutter took a positive outlook after the game because his team earned a point one night after winning 2-0 at Chicago.
“We played two games in less than a day — get in here at 2:30 in the morning and we take three of four points,” Sutter said. “Better to look at it like that, right?”
Despite their travel schedule, the Kings didn’t look tired. They traded chances with the Jets in the first period, and outplayed the home team decisively in the second.
“We figured it would be a low-scoring game,” Mason said. “With them coming in, they didn’t play as tired as I thought they would.”
The Kings’ inability to score on five power plays, including a two-man advantage for 1:52 in the second period, ended up being costly. Los Angeles has just four power-play goals in its last 17 games.
“We were moving the puck, but we just couldn’t finish it off,” Kings forward Anze Kopitar said. “You’ve got to work hard to create chances, and then you have to bear down on it. That’s all there is to it.”
The Jets had a two-man advantage for 46 seconds early in the third period, but they couldn’t beat Bernier. The win moved Winniped into a tie with Toronto and New Jersey for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Islanders 3, Flames 1
Flyers 4, Penguins 2
Hurricanes 4, Maple Leafs 3
Lightning 4, Canadiens 3
Wild 4, Oilers 3
Jets 1, Kings 0
Blue Jackets 4, Stars 1
Avalanche 3, Coyotes 2
Canucks 5, Ducks
caption; Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane (right) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson fight during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday. AP-Yonhap News
