The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night. The victory moved the Kings one step closer to the playoffs.
🔊 Todd McLellan talks with the media postgame#GoKingsGo | @LAKings pic.twitter.com/lFM3L9wDVM
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The Calgary Flames won the Pacific Division, followed by the Edmonton Oilers in second and the Vegas Golden Knights in fourth. The victory pushed the Kings into third place, increasing their point differential over Vegas.
The top three teams in the division will advance to the playoffs, while the fourth will compete for two spots in the Western Conference wild-cards against the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. Even if Vegas wins its final four games, the Kings would qualify for the playoffs with two victories in their final three games.
Kings vs Blackhawks game
Philip Danault scored in five successive games that night. With his 26th goal of the season, he scored first in the first half with 94 total points. Danault became the first player to score in five straight games since 2014. Marian Gaborik has five consecutive game-winning goals at the time. With five goals and eight points in seven games, the center has a career-best seven-game record.
Danault not only scored goals, but he also put the Kings up in the first half on a power play by backhanding a deflected shot.
The Kings also got goals from Anze Kopitar, Andreas Athanasiou, and Trevor Moore. The Kings have won four of their previous five games, outshooting their opponents 36-16. The Kings also had a five-point advantage over the Blackhawks, putting them in third place in the Pacific Division. As a result, the Kings still have three games to play, while the Blackhawks have four.
Adrian Kempe and Alex Edler as wingers each had two assists. Coach Todd McLellan lauded Edler’s contribution to the team this season. Unfortunately, Edler was forced to withdraw from the game due to a broken ankle.
How Kings seizes control
McLellan also credited his team’s success to their aggressive approach and ability to take advantage of opportunities that presented themselves. As the game proceeds, his team, like in previous times, prioritizes control.
Jonathan Quick made 15 saves for the Blackhawks dan won his fourth game in a row after starting five times in a row. While Patrick Kane who is a player that the Blackhawks reckon with scored his 430th career goal after losing his previous 11 games and only two games were won. With the goal, he moved past Bill Guerin into sixth place all-time among US-born NHL skaters.
Collin Delia had made 31 saves before leaving in the third half with a lower body and was saved by Kevin Lankinen. Delia suffered a cramp, according to Blackhawks coach Derek King, and was unable to finish the game in the last eight minutes.
The Blackhawks were able to trim their deficit to one goal in the final five minutes of the second half. with a power-play goal by Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks up 2-1. He beat Jonathan Quick’s 26th goal of the season by picking up a feed from Dylan Strome.