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 Chicago gave up two power-play goals for the second straight game in
the 5-2 loss at Dallas on Friday and stands three points behind the
Stars and St. Louis in the Central. “Nobody’s panicking here,”
Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa told reporters Friday after
returning from a leg injury that kept him out almost a month. “We
have a great team here and we’re in a good spot.” The Kings are
7-2-2 in the last 11 games to lead Anaheim by two points in the
Pacific, but struggled in the 2-1 overtime loss to New Jersey on
Saturday. Milan Lucic has two goals and a five assists along with a
plus-6 rating during a five-game point streak to lead Los Angeles.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CSN Chicago Plus
ABOUT THE KINGS (40-22-5): Anze Kopitar leads the team with 59
points and has three goals in five games while Jeff Carter tallied
three times in the last three outings, but Los Angeles needs to get
Tyler Toffoli going again. The 23-year-old Toffoli tops the Kings
with 24 goals despite going scoreless in the last 10 contests and
notching one in a 16-game span. Defenseman Drew Doughty continues to
make a strong case for his first Norris Trophy with two goals and
two assists in the last four games.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (41-22-6): Patrick Kane leads the league with
89 points and is in jeopardy of going without one in three straight
games for the first time this season. Hossa’s return should help the
Blackhawks on both sides of the puck and Teuvo Teravainen (five
points, six games) has shown some promise since being moved to
center on the third line. Captain Jonathan Toews has posted three
goals in the last six games and is two away from his eighth 50-point
campaign in eight full seasons.
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OVERTIME
1. Chicago D Michal Rozsival (lower body) missed Friday’s game and
is questionable for the contest with the Kings.
2. Los Angeles C Vincent Lecavalier has two goals in three games and
12 points in 28 games since being acquired from Philadelphia.
3. The teams have split two games this season and Chicago is 5-1-2
in the last eight meetings overall.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Kings 1
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