Chicago Blackhawks Make Statement with Convincing Win Over Los Angeles Kings

Going into the Chicago Blackhawks' six-game road trip, head coach Joel Quenneville knew that his team would face a test as they careened around the Western Conference and confronted the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks.

He also knew the biggest test was coming at the tail end of the trip, when the Blackhawks would face the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. The Kings, as every Blackhawks fan knows, ended Chicago's season last year with a seventh-game overtime victory in the Western Conference Final at the United Center.

The challenge of playing the Kings appeared to be a difficult one because it was coming just one day after facing the Ducks. While the travel from Anaheim to Los Angeles was not a problem—unless you look at freeway traffic as an issue—the lack of preparation and recovery time was something Quenneville and his player had to overcome.

The Blackhawks earned an "A" grade in this exam. A day after pummeling the Ducks, 4-1, the Blackhawks followed up with another 4-1 victory over the rested Kings, who had not played since earning a 4-0 shutout over the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 26.

The Blackhawks (15-8-1) still have 58 games to go in the regular season before the playoffs begin. But after starting the season in mediocre fashion, they played elite-level hockey on their circus road trip and saved their best for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

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The Blackhawks are starting to get timely scoring from their second-line players, they are getting outstanding special teams play and they are receiving outstanding goaltending. That's the formula that will get them to the top of the league standings and could put them in position to make yet another legitimate run at the Stanley Cup.

Forward Kris Versteeg had eight points on the trip, while center Brad Richards added five points. They killed off 15-of-17 penalties during the trip and scored six power-play goals in 26 opportunities. Corey Crawford was on top of his game in goal. He stopped 143 of the 154 shots he faced, for a .929 save percentage.

The Blackhawks came out of the gate against the Kings with a purpose, and they took the lead early in the first period on a goal from an unexpected source.

After Richards won a faceoff in his own zone, the Blackhawks carried the play up the ice, and left wing Daniel Carcillo found the puck on his stick at the bottom of the faceoff circle. He blasted it at Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, and while he got a piece of the shot, he couldn't stop Carcillo from following up and getting his stick on the rebound in mid-air and slugging it into the net.

Officials looked at the replay to determine if Carcillo's stick was above the crossbar, it was ruled a good goal and the Blackhawks had a 1-0 advantage at the one-minute, 52-second mark.

Championship teams like the Kings can easily overcome a 1-0 lead and have done so many times. However, elite teams like the Blackhawks know how to apply the pressure when they get the advantage and make it difficult on even the best opponents.

That's just what the Blackhawks did in this game, and Richards was the key performer. He scored two goals, as the Blackhawks built a 3-1 lead after two periods and then gave the Kings no breathing room in the third as they tried to mount a comeback. Brandon Saad scored the only goal of the final 20 minutes when he slid the puck into the empty net with 1:49 remaining.

The Blackhawks used their quickness and and finishing ability to get the jump on the Kings, and they also continued to show their dominance as penalty killers. The Blackhawks blanked Los Angeles on three power-play chances and remain the league's best team in short-handed situations. They have shut down opponents on 91.3 percent of their man-advantage opportunities, giving them a small, but significant, edge over the Wild, who rank second at 88.7 percent.

The 2011-12 New Jersey Devils set the NHL's all-time record for best penalty-kill percentage with an 89.6 percent mark.

Kings coach Darryl Sutter is not one to mince words or hand out false compliments. He was thoroughly impressed with what he saw from the Blackhawks. 

"They're a tough team to come back on because they're a great defending team," Sutter said after the game to the Associated Press' Joe Resnick (via CBSSports.com). "They're the best team in the league through the first two months of the year, and that's clear."

Quenneville, third on the all-time regular-season coaching victory list with 721 wins, was not as effusive as Sutter. However, he likes the way his team has been playing.

“We got off to an ordinary start,” Quenneville told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But we can see the team trending in the right direction. It’s a sign that, hey, we’re coming. When we play the right way, we’re a dangerous team.” 

Richards is starting to come around for the Blackhawks after a slow start. He also scored against the Ducks, and that gave him goals in back-to-back games for the first time as a member of the Blackhawks. It's the first time he has scored three goals in two regular-season games since Oct. 2013 when he was a member of the New York Rangers.

Crawford contributed 19 timely saves in the victory over the Kings. He has now started 14 consecutive games, and he has a .928 save percentage over that time frame.

Crawford appears to be playing much better than he did a year ago when he would give up at least one stoppable goal on nearly an every-game basis. This year he's making opponents earn every goal they score. 

“It’s pretty big,” Crawford told the Sun-Times. “It started with the second half of the trip in Colorado. We got a big win there in a tight game. And then against probably two of the top teams in the West, we had probably our two best games of the trip. It was a great job by everyone. We’re all on the same page, and we’re all battling together. It was a good road trip for us.”

There is a long way to go in the regular season and many dangerous opponents to face, but the Blackhawks have a sent a message to the rest of the NHL with their red-hot play on the road trip and their significant win over the defending Stanley Cup champions.