Chicago Blackhawks: Patrick Sharp Is Biggest X-Factor vs. Los Angeles Kings

Patrick Sharp is having a pretty quiet postseason for the Chicago Blackhawks. His ability to pick up his game in the scoring column may factor heavily in the Blackhawks' chances of reaching a second straight Stanley Cup Final.

Chicago's leading goal and point scorer has been held to a pair of goals and four helpers in 12 playoff games so far this spring. Sharp led the 'Hawks with 10 goals in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs but has been far from the dangerous sniper we have come to expect.

Sharp's diminished output certainly could give credence to speculation that the All-Star forward is harboring an injury. After all, players play hurt in the postseason quite often. It will be difficult to confirm any injury to Sharp or anyone else until Chicago's season ends.

If Sharp is playing banged up, it isn't showing up in his usage by coach Joel Quenneville. His playing time has increased in the postseason. Sharp is skating 19:28 per contest, well over a minute more than last season's 18:15.

What has been off in Sharp's game is his ability to find twine. Sharp owns a 11.9 career shooting percentage but has been limited to just five percent in Chicago's first two series against St. Louis and Minnesota.

Has Sharp been snake bitten by Ryan Miller and Ilya Bryzgalov or is he not getting real good looks at the net for some reason? Moreover, is Sharp's accuracy being hindered by a physical problem?

An easy explanation is that Sharp is a streaky goal scorer who is capable of filling the net with rubber in prodigious bursts. He scored 34 goals during the regular season, including three in the last five games heading into the playoffs.

Last season, the 'Hawks dispensed the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Sharp was fairly quiet on the scoring front in that series with a goal and two assists.

He had that same scoring output in three regular-season games against the Kings in 2013-14. However, there is still good reason to believe that Sharp could break out with a huge series against Los Angeles.

In 29 career games against the Kings, Sharp has 19 goals and 15 assists. Aside from Columbus, Sharp has burned Kings goalies more frequently than any other team over the course of his career.

A suddenly surging Sharp could be a huge factor for Chicago in what figures to be a tough series with the Kings. For two familiar playoff foes, Sharp finding the hot hand could be a major X-factor in the Western Conference Final.