Game 4 of the Western Conference Final takes place today at Staples Center. With the puck dropping at 6PM PT, the Los Angeles Kings will look to take a 3-1 lead against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Kings have looked great in the ice the past 3 games outscoring the Hawks 10-4 in the past five periods and Chicago also dropped their first road game of a series for the 10th straight time going back to the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Saturday’s 4-3 loss at Staples Center. Not only that but the Kings lead the Stanley Cup Playoffs in goals (56), averaging 3.29 per game compared to 2.87 per game for the Hawks.
Watching the first three games and seeing how much the Kings offense and defense matured against the Blackhawks shows us that the Kings have a chance to take a 3-1 lead in the Conference Final and try to take game 5 in Chicago. With the second line wings of Tanner Pearson, Tyler Toffoli and Center Jeff Carter, has shown that they have been a wreaked havoc on the Chicago Blackhawks Defensive line. Jeff Carter already has 5 goals in the Conference final, Toffoli has 3 and Pearson has four assists. Rookies Toffoli and Pearson have created a lot of momentum for the Kings team and with Jeff Carter by their side, they have been unstoppable creating beautiful plays, assisting each other and scoring goals to take the win.
In game 3, Carter helped the Kings tie up the game 2-2 in the 8th minute with Toffoli giving the Kings the lead for the first time that night 6 minutes later. These three have been unstoppable in the ice and if their form continues to be the way it has the past 3 games, Chicago will have a hard time stopping the Kings’ team.
Chicago, on the other hand, have committed some infractions in Game 3, and the Kings made them pay back in the power-plays by scoring goals in the last 3. One of the power play caused the game for the Hawks, in where Doughty scored a goal coming 2 seconds after a power play that turned out to be the game-winning goal. Chicago, aside from figuring out how to deal with the Kings offensive line, need to be figure out how to stop these short handed situations that the Kings have created. A penalty by Michal Handzus lead to the tying goal by Voynov in the first period and Rozsival’s high sticking penalty lead to Doughty’s game-winning goal. They have also been outscored in shots in at least one period of every game, including the 18-7 in the third period of game 3.
The Hawks are also depending on Jonathan Toews, Patrick Shark, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa to help them out in taking Game 4. Of course the Hawks have other players that are strong and have helped the Hawks in assists or goals. Center Andrew Shaw, Defenseman Johnny Oduya and Defenseman Duncan Keith also look to help the Hawks create goals and try to stop a strong Kings’ line to take Game 4 in the road and go back to Chicago to try to take Game 5 as well.
Chicago has also been struggling in power plays in road games. They went 0-for-4 in game 3 and are 1-for-21 in the playoffs.
Game 4 will be filled with many penalties, ohh and aahs from the crowd; hopefully a lot of goals but only one team will take the win. With Toffoli, Pearson and Carter and a strong defensive line, I predict that the Kings’ will take Game 4 of the Western Conference Final and head back to Chicago with a 3-1 lead in the best of 7 series.
Game 4 will take place in the Staples Center and will kick off at 9PM ET/6PM PT.
