Patrick Kane was again the Kingslayer in Game 6, contributing to the Hawks win with a goal and an assist in the final nine minutes of the period to tie the game, then take the lead. Los Angeles did not want to put themselves in this position, but a weak second half of the third has forced them in to a Game 7 in Chicago Sunday evening. Jonathan Quick played well for Los Angeles, but could not get the job done. That 70's Line and Kopitar's line were only credited with a single assist tonight. Los Angeles needs much more from these two lines in order to win Sunday. Los Angeles is in familiar territory going in to Game 7, but will Chicago carry the momentum of two straight wins back to the windy city to continue their quest of Lord Stanley's Cup defense? Vavel USA will be there to provide the latest scores and commentary Sunday. Thank you for tuning in, and we'll see you in Chicago Sunday.
Third Period 00:00: After a Kings flurry on Chicago's net, the game ends at 4-3 Chicago.
Third Period 1:04: Crawford with a big save, keeping Chicago ahead late in the third. Kings take their timeout as their Assistant Coach, Davis Payne, draws up a plan of attack on the Hawks cage.
Third Period 1:16: Quick has left the net for an extra attacker.
Third Period 2:02: Final TV timeout. Kane has given Chicago the lead late on a pretty solo effort in the Kings zone. It's crunch time for Los Angeles as they look to tie this game late. Expect Quick to head to the bench to give Los Angeles a 6 on 5 advantage.
Third Period 3:46: Blackhawks goal! Patrick Kane snipes a screened Quick from just inside the blue line to give the Hawks a 4-3 lead.
Third Period 5:00: Still a 3-3 late in the third. Will we find a game-winner before regulation expires, or will we see overtime for the second consecutive game?
Third Period 7:04: Second TV timeout. All the goals in this third period are from defensemen. Both teams are playing as if they do not want to wait for overtime, pushing hard to take the lead.
Third Period 8:26:Blackhawks goal! Duncan Keith takes a Patrick Kane pass to make it a 3-3 game.
Third Period 11:32: First TV timeout. Toews took a costly penalty for his Hawks. Look for him to try to redeem his minor penalty. 3-2 Kings. Two goals in just under three minutes gave the Kings a lead in this third period. Another Kings comeback brewing?
Third Period 12:22: Kings powerplay goal! Alec Martinez burns Crawford low to give the Kings a 3-2 lead. Drew Doughty with the pretty assist.
Third Period 13:52: Corey Crawford makes his best save of the period, denying Anze Kopitar in front.
Third Period 14:05: Jonathan Toews puts the Kings on the powerplay after caught hooking. Kings on the powerplay.
Third Period 14:28: Kings goal! Drew Doughty fires a shot past a screened Crawford to make it a 2-2 tie game. Mike Richards with a textbook screen to rob Crawford of his ability to see Doughty's shot.
Third Period 16:20: The Hawks have not allowed the Kings to even have a sniff thus far in the final twenty. Los Angeles must find a way to penetrate the Hawks defensive game and hunt for the tie.
Third Period 18:22: Quick robs Nick Leddy to keep the game at 2-1 Chicago. The Kings goaltender played the shot aggressively, cutting off any shooting angle Leddy thought he saw.
Second Intermission: Shots were even at 13 in the second period, while the Chicago took the lead in faceoffs, winning 31 of 21 in the second. Los Angeles is outhitting the Kings, as they lead 15-11 in the middle frame.
Second Period: From a Kings Perspective- Los Angeles has played well, but they cannot solve Crawford. They faced a hot goalie in the first forty and did all they could to beat him, but Crawford is playing great. The Kings must continue to attack the Blackhawks net. It looks like only a greasy goal is going to beat Crawford, so the Kings must crash the net.
Second Intermission: From a Blackhawks Perspective- The Hawks were chasing Los Angeles for a good chunk of the period, but they remain on top. The final five minutes found Chicago as the better team, but Quick made some key saves. If Crawford continues his stellar play in net, the Hawks look good to win this contest. They have to expect a huge push from the Kings in the final twenty though.
Second Period 00:00: Chicago musters up some big opportunities at the end on Quick, but no luck. Saad with a great shot on goal late, but no luck. Quick and Crawford exchange a few kind words at center ice before Quick headbutts the Chicago netminder. Nothing results in the encounter, but Quick is visibly fired up.
Second Period 1:00: The chances are starting to even out after the Kings controlled the pace for a bit. Still 2-1 Chicago.
Second Period 5:58: Final TV timeout. Alec Martinez nearly tied the game at two with a wraparound opportunity, but missed an open net. Still 2-1 Blackhawks.
Second Period 6:03: Chicago is back to full strength.
Second Period 8:03: Kings are going on their first powerplay of the evening. Brent Seabrook is hauled off for interference.
Second Period 8:29: Second TV timeout. Los Angeles is throwing everything at the Hawks cage, but continue to trail by one. The deficit is not due to lack effort.
Second Period 10:00: Corey Crawford is doing all that he can to hold on to the Hawks lead. The Kings are playing well and coming close to the tie, but Crawford is shutting the door in impressive fashion.
Second Period 11:30: The Kings are continuing to create their opportunities in the Hawks end, but it's still a 2-1 Hawks lead.
Second Period 12:39: First TV timeout. The Kings are battling hard for the game-tying goal here, peppering Crawford with pucks. However, the majority of them are coming from the point, and barely challenging Crawford. They are one shot away from a tie game, but the Hawks goalie is playing well.
Second Period 15:31: Quick actually gets a piece of the Sharp shot, keeping the Kings deficit at one.
Second Period 15:31: Patrick Sharp has a golden opportunity on a 2-0 rush, but he hits the post! So close to taking a 3-1 lead.
Second Period 17:11: Blackhawks goal! Ben Smith banks the puck off of Quick's skate from behind the net to take the lead. 2-1 Blackhawks.
Second Period 18:48: Blackhawks powerplay goal! Jonathan Toews feeds Patrick Kane who beats Quick to the stick side. 1-1 tie game.
Second Period 19:40: Anze Kopitar is called for holding Toews. The second Hawks powerplay. 1-0 Kings.
First Intermission: Chicago narrowly edged the Kings in shots that period by a 9-8 count. The Kings dominated in hits, throwing the body 21 times to the Blackhawks 9. Faceoffs were 12-8 in favor of the Kings.
First Intermission: From a Kings Perspective- A solid first frame for the Kings. The Jarett Stoll-Justin Williams- Dwight King line was impressive throughout, constructing some chances and even converting on one to give Los Angeles an early lead. They were able to kill off the Greene minor infraction, which could have cost them. Their solid penalty kill unit was able to keep the Hawks on the perimeter, and the momentum from the kill allowed the Kings to be the better team on the ice in the first twenty. If they can continue to play physical and pepper Crawford with chances, they will be looking good in the the final forty.
First Intermission: From a Blackhawks perspective- Chicago had a great opportunity to take the first lead of the game with some powerplay in the opening frame. Although they moved the puck well on the chance, they failed to register a shot on Jonathan Quick. The last thing they wanted to do was go down to the Kings early, knowing that Quick and the Kings can play a crippling defensive style that can preserve a lead. Some more time on the puck in the Kings zone can generate chances for them in the second period, which they need right now. They cannot afford to squander away any other mad-advantages.
First Period 00:00: The Kings generate chances at the end of the period, but Crawford is up to the task. A strong finish to the first period for Los Angeles.
First Period 2:57: Kings goal! Dwight King rifles a shot from the slot that finds a way through Crawford's legs. A strong forecheck generated the play for Los Angeles. 1-0 Kings.
First Period 3:35: Quick looks sharp early on, turning a few Hawks chances away. If the Kings hope to win this game, Quick will have to be their best player.
First Period 4:17: Final TV timeout. These last few minutes of the period will be crucial. Whichever team that can control the play until the horn will have the chance to gain some momentum before the second period.
First Period 4:25: The Kings kill off the Greene holding minor anad are back to full strength. Chicago with a few good looks on their man advantage, but no shots.
First Period 6:25: The Blackhawks have the first powerplay of the game. Matt Greene is sitting for two for holding Patrick Sharp.
First Period 8:17: Second TV timeout. The Clifford hit could spark the Kings after this break. The hit was the first big hit of the game. One could say it was the first of many for Game 6.
First Period 9:02: Kyle Clifford starts the physical play in Game 6 by absolutely trucking Handzus behind the Blackhawks net.
First Period 10:10: Patrick Kane with a shot from the faceoff dot, but Quick makes the stop.
First Period 11:37: First TV timeout. The game has begun with a blistering pace. Both teams are lightning fast, generating some opportunities. Both goalies are playing well. Neither one wants to give up the first goal of the game.
First Period 13:15: Dwight King with a partial breakaway, but Brandon Saad is there to eliminate the chance.
First Period 15:45: 'That 70's Line' with a couple of scoring opportunities in front of Crawford, but no luck. Still no score to this game.
First Period 16:00: Patrick Sharp drives the puck to Quick's goal, but the Kings goaltender smothers the puck before the play can develop in front of him.
First Period 17:00: Both teams have opened the first period with some jump to their game. Trevor Lewis with the first shot of the night for Los Angeles.
First Period 19:09: Marian Hossa with a chance in the slot, but Quick makes the big save.
First Period 19:40: The Kings opening shift is a strong one, getting the puck low and starting the physical play on the Hawks defense.
First Period 20:00: The two teams are set and ready for the opening faceoff.
With The Blackhawks season on the line, and a Kings trip to the Finals at stake, Game 6 is vital to both clubs. Chicago will look to match their Game 5 start early on tonight, but they will not have the United Center Faithful on their side tonight, as they will combat the Kings in the energizing Staples Center. The Hawks have been dreadful on the road this postseason, flaunting a 2-4 record away from the UC. Can they turn things around on visiting ice and steal a game in Los Angeles? Or will the Kings regain their killer instinct, and finish off Chicago to clinch a spot in the Finals? Stay with Vavel USA for more on Game 6.
It appears as though we will see Jonathan Quick in net again for Los Angeles going up against Corey Crawford of Chicago. Both Stanley Cup-winning goaltenders will be looking for a big playoff win tonight, but for different reasons. Quick will be looking to shut down Chicago once more this spring, confirming his second Finals appearance in the past three years. Corey Crawford will be looking to backstop his team to a Game 6 victory on the road, setting the stage for a Game 7 back on home ice. Crawford was the winning goalie in Game 5, making forty saves in the 80+ minutes of work Wednesday night.
Quick has proven he is resilient enough to bounce back after emotional losses, especially in the postseason. This could be one of the biggest tests to Quick’s resiliency tonight though, as he will be trying to close out the Blackhawks for the second consecutive game. Quick, nor his teammates want to take that flight to the windy city for Game 7. In order to stay off that plane, Quick must be big in net tonight for Los Angeles.
The Kings did a masterful job of keeping Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews at bay in Game 5, limiting him to a single assist. However it seemed to be a chore for Drew Doughty and company to contain Kane and Saad. If they can keep that duo’s production to a minimum, the Kings will have a much easier time closing out the series. The top line of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Marian Gaborik torched the Blackhawks Wednesday night. The trio teamed up for five points (2G,3A), helping ‘That 70’s Line’ carry the bulk of the Kings production up front. If Coach Sutter can get both his top forward lines clicking this evening, Los Angeles could find themselves with a more preferred outcome in Game 6.
Patrick Kane lived up to his superstar status early and often, finishing the first period of Game 5 with three helpers, and totaling four for the game. The combination of Kane and Brandon Saad gave the Kings trouble all night, combining for seven points on the night (1G,6A). While Kane took most of the credit on the score sheet, Saad was arguably the best Hawk on the ice in Game 5. Saad’s speed and puck control were on display Wednesday night, causing fits down low for the Los Angeles defense. The Kings will need to slow down the Pittsburgh native if they hope to alleviate Quick’s workload in Game 6. Look for Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville to keep these two together again tonight, as they were electrifying Wednesday night.
Game 5 could not have started better for the hometown Hawks. But after jumping to a quick 2-0 lead, the Hawks let the Kings slide back in to the contest as the teams finished the first period with a 3-2 Chicago lead. The second intermission had a much different tone in both locker rooms. The Kings battled back in the second frame to score two goals, taking the lead by a score of 4-3. Chicago was not about to let two separate two-goal leads go to waste, and thanks to an early third period goal by Ben Smith, the Blackhawks tied the game at 4. This score would hold up through regulation and overtime was needed to find a victor. The first overtime frame was one of the more furious, fast-paced twenty minutes of hockey in recent memory (the overtime period only took twenty-six minutes to complete with over eight minutes of action without a whistle). Both teams traded quality chances, but both goalies came up with remarkable saves to prolong the contest. Ultimately it was Saad who set up Handzus early in to the second overtime who beat Jonathan Quick on the glove side.
The Blackhawks were able to fight off elimination with a Game 5 overtime victory Wednesday night. Can they do the same by winning Game 6 in Los Angeles, or will the Kings book a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals?
Good evening folks, and welcome to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Tonight the Kings have their second opportunity to close out the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. The Kings had their first chance Wednesday evening in Game 5, but the Hawks refused to lose on home ice. Michal Handzus- the former King- scored early in the second overtime period to confirm a Game 6. Chicago will look to gain some momentum off their emotional Game 5 victory, as the Kings will look to finish the series off tonight to book a date with the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final. Stay with Vavel USA as we provide you with live scores and commentary on this crucial Western Conference Final tilt.