The Kings left Chicago with a split decision on Tuesday night, and the finish stung. Los Angeles dropped the road trip finale 2-1 to the Blackhawks, ending the trip at 3-2-0.
It started well enough for the Kings, who cashed in early with their fourth line. Andre Lee sent a shot through from up high, but Spencer Knight turned it away.
The rebound dropped to Jared Wright, who came inches from his first career NHL goal on the follow-up. When the puck lingered in the crease, Samuel Helenius was there to put it home for his first of the season and a 1-0 Los Angeles lead inside the game’s first three minutes.
Chicago’s response came late in the second period, and it arrived with the man advantage. The Blackhawks earned two power plays just three seconds apart, and the second one finally broke through. Connor Bedard carried the play down the right side and set up Roman Kantserov in the low slow, where he finished from close range for his fifth goal of the season and a 1-1 game.
The decisive blow came midway through the third. Quinton Byfield tried to move the puck behind his own net to Erik Gustafsson, but Chicago jumped the pass and turned it into a quick attack the other way. After two passes, Wyatt Kaiser found room in the left-hand circle and beat Anton Forsberg for his first goal of the season, putting the Blackhawks ahead for good at 2-1.
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Kings End Road Trip With A Frustrating Problem Still Unfixed
The Kings headed home from Chicago with the same nagging issue they have been trying to solve on the road: building an early lead and then letting it slip away. Samuel Helenius gave Los Angeles the start it wanted at United Center, and Anton Forsberg did his part in net with 25 saves, but the Blackhawks answered back and turned the game into a one-goal battle the Kings could not finish.
Chicagos third-period push ended up deciding a 2-1 loss that felt all too familiar by the final horn. Los Angeles now comes back to Los Angeles for a home stand still searching for a cleaner finish, with the details of how this one got away likely sticking with the group for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Connor Bedard Showed The Kings A Late-Game Problem Again
Connor Bedard was back in the middle of the action late against the Kings, which has become part of the Chicago script whenever a game tightens up. Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said the young star keeps earning those crucial shifts because of his competitiveness, even while the staff keeps pushing for more consistency in his defensive game. He also did his part at both ends in the matchup, setting up a goal and helping Chicago manage the closing stretch.
For Los Angeles, the frustrating part is how often Bedard seems to still be on the ice when the outcome is hanging in the balance. Blashill pointed to Bedard as a key piece of the Blackhawks young core and a player still very much in development, but the Kings saw again how dangerous he can be when the game gets tense and every shift starts to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Ontario Reign Need A Sharper Start As Lineup Questions Build
Ontario heads into its meeting with the Henderson Silver Knights looking for a cleaner opening and a steadier stretch as the season starts to sort out roles. This is the teams second matchup of the year, and the Reign arrive in Nevada off a mixed run that included a split series in Texas, the kind of trip that leaves a staff weighing whats working and what still needs to tighten up.
One of the more notable pieces of the setup is in net, where Carter George is expected to get the start for Ontario. The projected lineup also suggests a little movement up front, with veteran Jacob Doty expected back in the mix and Vojtech Cihar likely to sit as a healthy scratch, the sort of adjustment that can say plenty about where the Reign think they need more bite early in games. [Read more 🡒]