The set-up: The 33-33-7 Winnipeg Jets play the 34-31-7 LA Kings tonight at Staples Center. If the NHL playoffs were to begin today, the Jets and the Kings would be the first two Western Conference teams on the outside looking in at the postseason. However, it's not as if the two teams would "just miss" The Jets have just nine games remaining but find themselves 10 points behind the West's second wild card spot, while the Kings have 10 games still to play but are eight points back.

Winnipeg: The Jets won 3-2 at home on Tuesday over the Flyers, giving them three straight wins. Michael Hutchinson made his first start since Jan. 16 and had 24 saves, earning his first victory in a start since Dec. 22 against Vancouver. The Jets haven't had trouble scoring (rank seventh at 2.99 goals per game), but they are 28th in goals allowed per contest (3.16).

LA Kings: The Kings have lost four of their past five games and it hardly looks as if they will be playing more than 82 games this season."We're not done fighting," Kings forward Dustin Brown said. "We put ourselves in a really hard spot and we've got to fight our way out of it and, at the end of the day, we need other teams to falter." That might be a nice sentiment but it's hardly realistic. LA's defense and goaltending have been solid most of the season, giving up just 2.46 goals per game (fifth) but the Kings has surrendered seven goals in their past two contests and Jonathan Quick was pulled after allowing two goals on seven shots in Sunday's 5-2 loss at Calgary.

The pick: As noted above, the Jets cans score but also have trouble stopping opponents from doing so and this game hardly will have a "Stanley Cup atmosphere." Make the Over a an 8* play.