Kings roll past slumping Blackhawks

[February 20, 2018]  Torrey Mitchell, Andy Andreoff and Dion Phaneuf each scored, and the visiting Los Angeles Kings posted a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night at the United Center.

Patrick Sharp scored the lone goal for the Blackhawks, who have scored two goals or fewer in six of their past seven games. Chicago fell to 1-8-1 in its past 10 contests and is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick made 27 saves to improve to 23-21-2 on the season. On the opposite end of the rink, Blackhawks goaltender Anton Forsberg turned aside 29 shots but fell to 6-12-3.

Los Angeles opened the scoring with 11:29 to go in the first period. Kings center Nate Thompson won a battle for the puck along the side boards and flipped a backhand pass to Mitchell, who ripped a slap shot into the net for his fourth goal of the season and his second in the past four games. Kyle Clifford parked his 6-foot-2, 211-pound frame in front of the net to screen Forsberg.

The Kings made it 2-0 with 3:23 remaining in the first period. Jonny Brodzinski snapped a wrist shot from the left circle, and Andreoff redirected the puck above Forsberg's glove for his third goal of the season.

A power-play goal increased Los Angeles' advantage to 3-0 with 15:56 to go in the second period. Phaneuf blasted a slap shot for his second goal in three games since the Kings acquired him from the Ottawa Senators.

 

Kings center Torrey Mitchell (71) shoots against Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (2) during the third period at the United Center. Los Angeles won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago cut the deficit to 3-1 when Sharp scored his seventh goal 1:42 into the third period. Defenseman Carl Dahlstrom threw a shot on net, and Sharp punched the rebound past Quick to snap an 11-game scoring drought.

Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane skated in his 800th career game. He did not record a shot on goal, and he finished with a minus-2 rating.

Before the game, the Blackhawks shipped defenseman Michal Kempny to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in the 2018 draft. Kempny, 27, tallied three goals and 12 assists in 81 career games for Chicago.

--Field Level Media

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