LOS ANGELES, CA (BDCi) – The Los Angeles Kings are in an unfamiliar situation as they are currently down three games to one in their best of seven series with the Chicago Blackhawks. After rolling through the league last year, the Kings have had a much more difficult time this season having to dispatch the St. Louis Blues in six games in round one and the San Jose Sharks in seven games in round two. How would the Kings battle the adversity of being down 3-1? Let’s find out
The Kings built themselves an immediate hole as six minutes into the game they were already down 2-0 as Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane both scored goals past Jonathan Quick to sink the Kings hopes. The Blackhawks would absolutely dominate the first period as they outshot the Kings 10-4 and completely dominated the play. The Blackhawks would use that momentum to keep the Kings off the scoreboard for the period and go into the first intermission ahead 2-0.
In the second period the Kings would finally get on the board as it took an unlikely play to motivate the Kings as while shorthanded Justin Williams drove towards the net and got a shot on goal where Dwight King was able to shoot the rebound through Corey Crawfords legs to pull the Kings to within a goal. The second period would end with the Blackhawks ahead 2-1 but the Kings now within striking distance.
In the third period the Kings were able to tie it up almost immediately as Anze Kopitar scored on the power play to tie the game up at two. For the remainder of the third period it was very even as both teams battled for puck possession and struggled to score, however with a little under four minutes remaining in the game Patrick Kane score to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead and what appeared to be the victory. The Kings would pull Jonathan Quick in an attempt to get an extra attacker on the ice, and with 10 seconds remaining in the game it would work as Mike Richards would deflect in an Anze Kopitar shot to tie the game up at three and send the game into overtime.
In the first overtime both goalie would stand on their head as they would turn away all the shots they would face and send the game into a second overtime.
In the second overtime the game would finally come to an end as the Blackhawks would earn a two on one with Jonathan Toews centering a pass to Patrick Kane which the young winger blasted pass Jonathan Quick to give the Chicago Blackhawks the victory and series victory to send them to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Los Angeles Kings chance at repeating as Stanley Cup Champions is now over and the league will have a new champion in several weeks.
by: Benjamin Robinson
Source: ESPN
June 9, 2013
11:53 am PDT