It remains to be seen if the Los Angeles Kings can claw their way into the 2015 postseason. It seems like the Chicago Blackhawks are getting their shots in now, just in case that doesn’t happen.
Chicago ran away with Monday’s game, handing Los Angeles a 4-1 beating.
That score is probably a fair depiction of what happened tonight, too, as the Blackhawks carried most of the play. This stats is outdated at this point, yet it also captures how much the Kings struggled to contain Chicago’s attack:
The Kings are the best shot-suppression team in the league, allowing 27.0 per game. The #Blackhawks have 25 through 26 minutes so far.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 31, 2015
This was the point where the Blackhawks really pulled away, rapidly turning a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead:
Ultimately, tonight is an evening of good news for the Blackhawks (including positive vibes for Patrick Kane) and, from the look of things, a pretty lousy night for Los Angeles.
Let’s be honest, too. A bad night for the Kings is probably a good one for the rest of the West’s playoff field ... and not just bubble opponents like the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames.