Saturday’s Game Review: Los Angeles Kings Fall to Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 at Home

The Los Angeles Kings hosted the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night at Staples Center. The Hawks got out to an early lead and the Kings were never able to bounce back.

Chicago looked like they had this game circled on their calender since the end of the Western Conference Final last year. They played like it. The Hawks came out flying and seemed to have a little extra jump in their step. They were faster all night, with and without the puck.

Almost two-minutes into the game the Hawks took the lead. Off a face-off in the Kings end, the puck became trapped along the boards. Chicago forward Bryan Bickell won the battle, and flicked the puck to Daniel Carcillo who was coming out of the corner. Carcillo tried to stuff the puck in the short side and hit the post. The puck bounced off and flew up into the air. Carcillo was able to swat the puck out of the air, over a downed Kings goaltender – Jonathan Quick, and into the back of the net.

Two minutes must have been a good time marker for the Blackhawks. With two minutes left in the first period, Chicago scored again. On a dump-in into the Kings zone, Quick came out to play the puck. Quick mishandled the puck, and Kris Versteeg took over possession behind the net. Versteeg passed the puck out to Brad Richards who was cutting towards the side of the net. Richards one-timed a high shot from a sharp angle over Quick’s shoulder as Quick was on one knee getting back into position in the net.

November 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Brad Richards (91) scores a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Kings were able to strike back and make it a game in the second period. Kyle Clifford was working in the corners down in the Blackhawks zone. Clifford forced the puck around the boards to the point where Jake Muzzin held it in. Muzzin fired a shot and Jordan Nolan deflected the puck off the shaft of his stick, in the slot. The redirect bounced through the legs of Chicago goalie Corey Crawford and into the back of the net. 2-1 Hawks.

L.A. looked much better and more in control in the second period. The Kings were out-shot in the first and third periods, but tied with 8 shots in the second. In the second period the Kings were better, but the Hawks were just able to shut it down for the remainder of the game.

Brad Richards would reestablish the Blackhawks two-goal lead two and a half minutes later, with his second goal of the night. Patrick Kane made a nice move to bring the puck into the Kings zone. Kane passed it over to Versteeg, who hit Michal Rozsival coming in to the high slot late, as the fourth man into the zone for the Hawks. Rozsival made a nice move and faked a shot, and fired a pass over to Richards at the side of the net. Quick had played Rozsival’s fake shot aggressively and was outside of the crease. Richards one-timed the pass into a wide open net, past a diving Quick.

The Blackhawks went into a defensive shell in the third period. The Kings frantically pressed the puck up-ice, but were not able to score.

The Kings pulled Quick with 2:50 left in the third. Immediately off the ensuing face-off, the draw was won back to Duncan Keith, who fired the puck the length of the ice and hit the goal post.

The only goal of the third period was an empty-netter scored by Brandon Saad. Saad, who was one of our players to watch out for, shot the puck into the empty net with 1:50 left in regulation. The puck came to Marian Hossa who slapped the puck out to center. Saad picked up the puck and flipped it down the ice and into the empty net.

At the end of the game Brayden McNabb got into a fight with Carcillo, after throwing a hit where McNabb got his elbow up. McNabb showed some good spirit, fighting a more experience Carcillo, expressing the team’s frustration by injecting some energy into the situation.

The fight caused a few more mini scrapes. Anze Kopitar tied up with Rozsival, and Jordan Nolan received a game misconduct for lashing out at a few Blackhawks players. Carcillo was given five-minutes for fighting, and McNabb got five for fighting and another two-minute minor for the elbow.

Of course a lot of class was shown by Carcillo as he skated off. Carcillo exited the ice throwing a big “Queen’s wave”, slightly turning his hand back and forth with his arm raised, to the Los Angeles fans.

The Kings were 0-for-3 on the power-play, all three chances coming in the first two periods. The Hawks were 0-for-2. All in all, it was a clean game until the tussles at the end.

Jordan Nolan suited up for the first time in six games, coming off his two game suspension, for boarding Detroit Red Wings forward Darren Helm on October 31st. Nolan picked up a goal in the second period of his first game back.