Kings vs Blackhawks: LA's Blueprint to Turning Around Western Conference Final

After dropping the first two games in Chicago, the Los Angeles Kings come home to the Staples Center with a chance to get back into the series.

While the Kings have won seven straight home playoff games this year and have won a team-record 14 straight at home (regular-season games included), the change of venue won't be enough to get the Kings a win in Game 3.

The Blackhawks took it to the Kings at the United Center. The Kings can't allow that to happen in Los Angeles. The Kings must find a way to dictate the pace of the game at home.

Here's a look at the blueprint the Kings must follow if they are going to turn the Western Conference Final around.

Score the First Goal

The Kings need to light the lamp first in the third game of this series.

Getting the first goal in a playoff game has long been the formula for success in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but it is especially vital for the Kings.

In their first seven home playoff games, the Kings have scored the first goal in six of those games. That allowed head coach Darryl Sutter's team to dictate the pace.

While they were able to play come-from-behind hockey in Game 3 of their first-round series against the St. Louis Blues—they fell behind 2-0 in that game—it's not a strategy they will want to follow against the speedy Blackhawks.

If the Blackhawks jump out to the lead, the Kings will have a much tougher time slowing them down. The Blackhawks will start to free wheel if they get the lead because they know if they get in a fast-paced game, it's to their advantage with explosive players like Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa.

Get the Puck to Jeff Carter

The Los Angeles Kings are having a tough time scoring goals in this playoff season.

Going into the Western Conference Final, they were the lowest scoring team of the four who are still competing.

One player who remains a threat with the puck after a solid regular season is Jeff Carter. He is one of the Kings' fastest skaters, and if he can get a half-step on the defense, he has a chance to break free for an odd-man rush.

Carter has scored a team-high six goals in the postseason. In addition to his speed, he has a quick release on his wrist shot.

Carter may have to carry the load because Anze Kopitar (two goals in the postseason) is slumping and versatile forward Mike Richards is not 100 percent. Richards did not play in Game 2 and there are no guarantees that he will be in the lineup for Game 3.

In addition to Carter, the Kings may want to look for rookie Tyler Toffoli. He scored his second goal of the postseason in Game 2 against Chicago and he has excellent hands. Toffoli had 28 goals and 51 points for the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey league this season.

Take the Body and Punish the Blackhawks

Going into the series, it was widely acknowledged that the Kings were the bigger, stronger and more physical team.

The Kings have delivered a league-high 626 hits in the postseason, while the Blackhawks rank fifth with 373 hits.

However, the Kings have not used that to their advantage in the first two games. If anything, the Blackhawks were using their speed to bounce bodies and keep the Kings from establishing their offense.

The Kings can't let that happen on their home ice. They can't be reckless and take unnecessary penalties, but they must be aggressive and deliver legal body checks whenever possible.

The Blackhawks have too many skilled players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp who can take advantage of open areas on the ice if they are allowed to skate with freedom. If the Kings take the body early, the Blackhawks may be looking around and wondering who will deliver the next hit instead of skating hard to the net.

Attack with the Defensemen When the Opportunity Presents Itself

The Kings scoring average is a paltry 1.93 goals per game. Head coach Darryl Sutter wants a team that will be defensively responsible, but the Kings are not going to beat the streaking Presidents' Trophy winners if they can't score more than two goals per game.

It's not enough to ask the forwards to produce more because stars like Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards are not at their best.

The Kings need to ask their defensemen to activate and join the attack. Slava Voynov has scored four goals during this playoff season, but he has yet to score against the Blackhawks. He has a hard shot and he knows what to do with the puck when he joins the attack.

In addition to Voynov, the Kings need Drew Doughty, Rob Scuderi, Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez to look for opportunities to score and take them aggressively. Doughty has scored two goals for the Kings in the postseason, but Scuderi, Muzzin and Martinez have not found the range yet.

Pressure Nick Leddy and Brent Seabrook

The Blackhawks have been an excellent team all season, but they do have weaknesses and their defense will turn the puck over from time to time.

The Kings should try to attack Chicago defensemen Nick Leddy and Brent Seabrook when they are trying to carry the puck. Both men will turn the puck over when they are pressed hard.

Leddy has a minus-five rating during the postseason while Seabrook is minus-two.

If the Kings can pressure the defensemen into turnovers, it should result in several scoring opportunities.

Don't Doubt Your Goaltender

There is no reason in the world to doubt Jonathan Quick.

He struggled badly in Game 2 in Chicago and he gave up four goals in less than 30 minutes. Head coach Darryl Sutter pulled him from the game.

Does this mean that Quick is going to have problems the rest of the way? No, it means he had a bad game.

Quick won the Conn Smythe Trophy in leading the Kings to the Stanley Cup, and he was one of the leading candidates this year before his struggles in Game 2.

Quick has a 1.76 goals against average and a .940 save percentage to go along with three shutouts during the playoffs. If his teammates can get Quick a lead at home, he should be able to secure the a victory in Game 3.