Make Way for the Kings LA Kings News and Info
Game 68; 41-22-5
CHICAGO — It was supposed to be an intense affair. Instead, the rubber match of this season series was completely one-sided as the Los Angeles Kings rolled to a 5-0 victory over Chicago, handing the Blackhawks their worst home loss in nearly a decade.
While the Blackhawks had their chances early on, Jonathan Quick stood his ground, paving the way for the Kings to open the scoring.
First, Kris Versteeg opened the scoring with his first as a King at 3:17. Then, it was Milan Lucic who blasted his 17th over Corey Crawford just 18 seconds later to quiet the United Center and give the silver-and-black the 2-0 lead.
Late in the second, the Kings added to their lead as Vincent Lecavalier sniped his eighth from a sharp angle to make it 3-0. Then, in the third, Dustin Brown ended a personal 16-game scoreless drought followed by a Tyler Toffoli top corner shot and that was it.
Kris Versteeg added an assist to his goal while Luke Schenn had a pair of helpers. Brayden McNabb and Anze Kopitar added assists as well as the Kings rolled to a convincing victory.
While their penalty killing has been up-and-down as of late, the Kings were stellar with a man down on this night, killing off all six penalties while leaving the Blackhawks frustrated.
As for Jonathan Quick, he was flawless as he made 32 saves to earn not only his fourth shutout of the season but the 41st of his career, making him the all-time leader among American-born goaltenders in said category. The win was also his 35th on the year.
As much of a pick-me-up as this win was for the Kings, though, they have no time to celebrate as they are right back to work on Tuesday night when they visit the Dallas Stars.
