This one is for Mike Richards!
Wednesday night, as a part of NBC’s Rivalry Night, the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Chicago Blackhawks.
It was . . .
Epic. A statement win. Whatever you want to call it, it’s two-points for the Kings.
“Gritty, not pretty. This team has never been pretty, and they have to play to their own strengths and character.”
Two minutes into the game Blackhawks super-star Patrick Kane capitalized on a rebound with Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick down. Kane snapped a shot in the top corner to open the scoring.
The Kings answered back on a snipe by Jeff Carter. Carter brought the puck out from the side of the net, fumbled, got possession back, turned and fired.
Exactly three-minutes later, with Kings defensemen Drew Doughty in the penalty box, Hawks forward Patrick Sharp netted his 10th goal of the season.
Every time Dewy’s in the box bad things happen.
The last four power-play goals the Kings have allowed have come with Doughty in the penalty box.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) January 29, 2015
Chicago took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Carter picked up his second goal of the game, and 14th of the season on the power-play. Carter outworked Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews along the boards, took the puck to the low circle, hesitated to fake a pass and fired the puck home.
It was the only goal of the second period.
Early into the third period the Hawks took the lead for the third time. Andrew Shaw flipped a shot from the circle dot past Jonathan Quick.
You could hear, see, and feel the emotion of Kings fans. Staples Center deflated faster than a New England Patriots football.
Too bad everyone forgot Tyler Toffoli is one sick individual.
Toffoli buried a goal with 6:11 left in regulation and the building exploded with joy. Toffoli was breaking into the Hawks zone as the late trailer when Dwight King hit him with a pass. Toffoli wired the puck through traffic and into the back of the net.
So much for being tired and weak. There is a theory out there in hockey circles that players play better when their sick. Strange? Absolutely. True? The evidence for is pretty prevalent.
Not three-minutes later, off a face-off, Jake Muzzin ripped a shot from the point, that at first looked like it was deflected. The only thing that mattered was it beat Chicago goaltender Cory Crawford giving the Kings the lead.
Crawford was not pleased.
GIF: Corey Crawford pissed because he’s missing a Hoobastank concert or something pic.twitter.com/y6KJ6gu8KR
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) January 29, 2015
As time wound down it got louder and louder around the rink. Finally as the Kings cleared the puck with 3-seconds left, everyone let out their joy and frustration cheering and screaming their vocal chords away as the buzzer sounded.
Back and forth, back and forth. First the Hawks would score, then the Kings would answer back. A seesaw of emotion.
Former Kings and Philadelphia Flyers teammate of Mike Richards, Jeff Carter played out of his mind. Perhaps President and General Manager Dean Lombardi’s recent move, sending Richards down to the American Hockey League, sent a resonating message through the Kings locker room.
It could just be that the Carter and the Kings step up in big games.
Puck Prose
“Every time you play them , it’s an intense, exciting game,” Carter said after the victory. “If you can’t get up to play a game like this, as a player, there’s something wrong with you. We enjoy it, a big battle for us tonight. Hopefully we can keep it going.”
What a great game for the Kings to implement their Phase Two regular season sequence: the push to the playoffs. #Push4Play
Is it a strategy? Is it a team getting hot, getting going at the right time?
After tonight’s game it looks like business as usual.
The game was indicative of the Kings entire season. Down-up, down-up; floating near .500. The finally, near the very end the Kings come on like a hungry pack of jackals and get to victory.
It’s good to see the Kings get back to winning. What’s more important is how L.A. won the game.
Gritty, not pretty. This team has never been pretty, and they have to play to their own strengths and character. “This above all: to thine ownself be true.”
To put it more eloquently, head coach Darryl Sutter said after the game, “We have to beat somebody to make the playoffs.” Classic Sutter.
L.A. will now embark on a five game road trip, where the test only gets tougher. In 20 games this season the Kings are an abysmal 5-9-6 away from Staples Center.
It will be a true test of character. The Kings need to keep playing with the hearts of champions.
The Kings next game is Saturday at 4:00 p.m. PST in TD Garden against the Boston Bruins.
Next: Tyler Toffoli Returns for L.A. Kings
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Jan 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Marian Gaborik (12), center Anze Kopitar (11) and defenseman Drew Doughty (8) celebrate a goal in the third period of the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports