NEWSLETTER
On Friday night, the game against the Kings was effectively over at the end of the first period. LA sprinted to a four-goal lead and never looked back. So how would the Blackhawks adjust just a few days later? How about limiting the Kings to six shots on net in the first period and taking a tie game to the room after 20 minutes? Hard work got the Hawks some power plays and they were able to convert one of them for a tying goal.
The Hawks carried the action early in the second period, but a shot Petr Mrazek never saw got thru traffic and into the net to give the Kings a 2-1 lead. A little more than two minutes later, Anze Kopitar was somehow left all alone right in front and extended the lead to two. Kevin Korchinski and Jaycob Megna were on the ice for all three LA goals at that point. Kopitar, who dominated the game in Chicago, scored a power play goal inside the final minute of the second period to make it 4-1 Kings and the second period tonight felt a lot like the first period in Chicago.
Phillip Danault made it 5-1 Kings in the third with… Korchinski and Megna on the ice again. They were on the ice for all four of the Kings’ even strength goals. Unfortunately, Kevin Fiala backed into Colin Blackwell and the Blackhawks’ forward went down in a lot of pain in the corner with 8:36 left in the third period. He left the ice on his own but appeared to be favoring his left arm/shoulder. Korchinski scored the Blackhawks’ second goal of the night, giving him goals in consecutive games. And he was back to minus-three. But… he was on the ice trying to move Trevor Lewis out from in front of Mrazek when he redirected a shot into the net for LA’s sixth goal of the night and his dash-four was back on the board.
Star 1: Nick Foligno
Maybe it wasn’t a highlight caliber move by Foligno that got the Blackhawks on the board in the first period, but it was a big goal that tied the game.
Star 2: Connor Bedard
Star 3: Philipp Kurashev
One reason the Kings had their way with the Blackhawks in Chicago is their defense structure made life incredibly hard on Bedard’s line. On Friday night, Bedard personally was on the ice for 12 Blackhawks’ shot attempts at even strength to 21 for the Kings (per Natural Stat Trick). A big reason the Blackhawks looked as good as they did in the opening 20 minutes: Bedard’s line had it going. Here are the first period numbers for Bedard, Kurashev and Tyler Johnson:
Thru the second period, that line remained the Blackhawks’ best at even strength:
Kurashev had an assist on Foligno’s power play goal. Bedard had an assist on Korchinski’s goal in the third period.
