Gabriel Vilardi scores a career-high four points in his return to LA, leading Jets past Kings 5-2

LOS ANGELES — Gabriel Vilardi scored a career-high four points with a goal and three assists in his impressive return to Los Angeles, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 victory over the Kings on Wednesday night.

Vilardi scored his second goal of the season early in the third period to complete the biggest offensive night of his five-year career in his first game against the Kings, who drafted him with the 11th overall pick in 2017. Los Angeles sent him to the Jets last summer along with Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari in a trade for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Vilardi didn’t know how to find the visitors’ dressing room in the Kings’ arena, and he acknowledged extra motivation for his return.

“Obviously, you saw it out there,” Vilardi said. “I was once here, and now I’m gone. It’s the same for everyone, everyone who was drafted here. I loved my time here, playing here. It was amazing. But at the end of the day, they didn’t want me, so this doesn’t end anything.”

If the trade wasn’t enough motivation, Vilardi injured his right knee when LA’s Blake Lizotte tripped him during the Kings’ 5-1 win in Winnipeg two months ago, sidelining him until Nov. 30.

“How couldn’t you get fired up for this one?” said linemate Mark Scheifele, who had two goals and an assist. “Obviously him getting hurt in the last one was motivation, too, and he was flying and making plays.”

Vilardi was sharply critical of Lizotte after the injury, but he said they didn’t exchange words on the ice this time.

“I thought it was a dumb play by him, and I was out for almost two months because of it,” Vilardi said. “That’s my opinion on it, and not everyone has to agree with it. I have a right to my opinion as well.”

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