NBCSN’s ongoing coverage of the 2013 campaign will continue tonight when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Los Angeles Kings know better than any team in the league that as long as you make the playoffs, anything can happen. However, with roughly two-thirds of their season in the books, they still have a lot of work to do if they want to secure a postseason berth.
The Kings haven’t scored a goal in their last 126:14 minutes of playing time and that’s the setup for their upcoming five-game road trip that kicks off tonight in Chicago.
Los Angeles, like most teams, has been unable to beat the 24-3-3 Blackhawks this season. The fact that the Kings facing them in Chicago, where the Blackhawks have only suffered one regulation loss in 2013, just adds to the daunting task ahead of them.
After being shutout of back-to-back contests, it’s clear that the Kings as a team need to step up their game, but the heat has to be on Jeff Carter in particular. That might seem unfair, but when he’s hot, he’s been the difference for the Kings this season. They are 13-1-1 when he finds the back of the net and 4-11-1 when the opposition silences him.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the 28-year-old forward has gone cold lately with just two points in his last eight games and he didn’t even manage a single shot on goal on Saturday.
For Chicago, this game is principally about not allowing themselves to relax or lose confidence as they enter a dangerous part of the season. The Blackhawks don’t really have much left to play for until the playoffs, except the bragging rights that come with finishing the season with the top record in the NHL.
Even if Chicago plays mediocre hockey for the rest of the campaign, they’ll still probably end up with at least the second seed, but letting up now could bleed into the first round, so they need to find ways to stay motivated. They might not need this win in the same way that the Kings do, but they definitely want it and aren’t about to roll over and let the Kings take these two points without a fight.
Probable goaltenders: CHI - Corey Crawford (13-3-3, 1.86 GAA, .926 SV%) | LAK - Jonathan Quick (10-10-2, 2.47 GAA, .897 SV%)
Top scorers: CHI - Patrick Kane (16-22-38, 30 GP) | LAK - Anze Kopitar (9-19-28, 30 GP)
Notable Injuries:
Chicago - Forwards: Marian Hossa (upper body), Patrick Sharp (shoulder)
Los Angeles - Defensemen: Willie Mitchell (knee), Matt Greene (back)