The Los Angeles Kings were road warriors during their Stanley Cup run in 2012. Now they just want to finish the 2013 playoffs with a few away wins.
They remained at one (the series-clinching Game 6 victory against the St. Louis Blues), as the Chicago Blackhawks dominated them 4-2 in Game 2 on Sunday.
- Seriously, what’s the deal with the disparity in play in home vs. away games for the Kings? They only had eight road wins in the regular season, so it’s not a total fluke.
- Could Jonathan Quick’s confidence be shaky after Sunday? Darryl Sutter probably made a wise decision to pull him in the second period.
- How much did back-to-back games hurt the Kings? It’s worth noting that both teams probably experienced similar fatigue coming off of seven-game series.
- Losing Mike Richards was rough, but his replacement Tyler Toffoli seemed to find some nice early chemistry on Jeff Carter’s line. Should Los Angeles move Richards (a team-leading 10 postseason points) to a different line once he’s ready? If not, has Toffoli earned a more permanent spot in the lineup?
- The positive side of the road-weary coin for the Kings is that they’re lights out at home. Do you expect them to “hold serve” at the Staples Center and even this series?
- Were any of the hits in Game 2 over the line?
- We’ve spoken a lot about Quick, but Corey Crawford continues his postseason of excellent (and still underrated) work. Is he for real? Is he at least good enough to survive on a Chicago team that seems primed to be dominant for the near future?