Chicago Blackhawks to Face L.A. Kings in Season Opener

The Chicago Blackhawks will face off against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Jan. 19, according to Tracey Myers of CSNChicago.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the game will be in the afternoon and include the Kings' banner-raising and ring-giving ceremonies.

The Blackhawks are expected to have a healthy team when they hit the ice at Staples Center.

The Kings will be without star forward Anze Kopitar for about three weeks after he was injured in a game in Sweden. But star goalie Jonathan Quick and team captain Dustin Brown are expected to start in the home opener.

This looks to be a tough game for the Blackhawks, who were only able to score four goals in four games against the Kings last season. The Kings, on the other hand, were able to put up 10 goals in those four games against the Blackhawks.

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick had much to do with why the Blackhawks were only able to score four goals in four games. If the 'Hawks want to best the Kings in their season opener, they will have to figure out how to get past Quick's fast glove.

Considering that the 'Hawks had major power-play problems last season, scoring against the Kings may bring about a challenge to start off the regular season. Both teams are built on puck possession, so it may come down to which team has the better goaltending.

Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was shaky for the better part of last season. Starting out against the Kings, he will be looking to shake off a sophomore slump that threatened to end his tenure in Chicago.

According to ESPN.com, the board of governors for the NHL ratified the tentative CBA in a unanimous vote on Wednesday. The players are expected to vote on the CBA between Friday and Saturday of this week.

The NHL is expected to have all teams open this 48-game season on Jan. 19. The season will conclude at the end of April.

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