Chicago Survives Against LA To Force Game 7

May 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Blackhawks players celebrate with goalie Corey Crawford (50) after game six of the Western Conference Final of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center. The Chicago Blackhawks won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Kings have battled back in several games all playoff-long. In Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, they once again found themselves down, but came back to take the lead early in the third period. Unfortunately, the Chicago Blackhawks once again kept up their championship mentality to steal the 4-3 win. Both teams fought with a passion all the way to the end, landing blow after blow in another epic clash that now sees them heading to a deciding Game 7 in Chicago. This is playoff hockey.

For a Game 6, it started slow. The first period was nearly over by the time the puck got in a net. Jarret Stoll chased a dump-in with less than 3 minutes and flipped it in front of the net to an on-rushing Dwight King. Corey Crawford was unaware of his presence and allowed King to score to his left side to make it 1-0. Read that last sentence as many times as you want, Dwight King did in fact score for the Kings. Before the lone goal, there was not much to write about except the defense and hits the Kings put on Chicago. Los Angeles led in hits 21-9 after the first period and flustered the Blackhawks, but that was not sustained.

The second period started with a very questionable penalty on Anze Kopitar who went to the box for holding. On the power play, Patrick Kane finally decided he wanted to be a part of the series and blasted one past Jonathan Quick. Despite the Kings killing off the majority of their penalties, they could not control this one which resulted in a tie game, 1-1. A few minutes later, Chicago continued the offensive pressure when Ben Smith scored on his own rebound. For whatever reason, the Kings broke down on defense and Chicago was up 2-1.

The second period belonged to Chicago, but there was still 20 minutes to be played. The best part of the second was after it ended. Andrew Shaw ran into Quick after the horn went off and Quick took exception to it and put a mitt in Shaw’s face. As Quick was skating to the bench, Crawford thought he would give Quick a piece of his mind and met him at mid-ice. Quick responded with a helmet bump. Nothing further happened as they were separated by the referees, but the message was clear… it is on.

And that was just what happened. Five and a half minutes in, the Kings had squeezed into the Blackhawk defense and secured the puck better than they had all game. Dustin Brown was able to find Doughty out atop the slot for the score, tying it at 2. Two minutes and six seconds later, Alec Martinez scored on a power play to make it 3-2. The Kings were back and looking to close this thing out. Unfortuanelty, Chicago had a different idea.

Eleven and a half minutes in, Duncan Keith scored to thicken the drama and tie the game at 3. But the champs were not done with their scoring. Patrick Kane, as stated before, came alive and netted the game winner with less than four minutes left. The Kings had several cardiac-inducing chances to tie it up, but they could not get anything past the Blackhawks.

So here it is. A third Game 7 for the Kings in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. One last game that will decide the best team in the West. One last game to determine whether LA or Chicago head to the Stanley Cup Finals to face the New York Rangers. One last game, on Sunday night. It is on. Be there!

Mike W.R.

Twitter: @TheBigDisco