Los Angeles Kings v Chicago Blackhawks (Staples Center)
Time: 6:00 PM
TV: RDS, TSN, NBCSN
Enemy reading: Second City Hockey
Blackhawks (projected) lineup:
???????????????????????????????
Keith-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Leddy-Rozsival
Crawford
Injured: Nikolai Khabibulin; Scratched: ???????, Jeremy Morin, Joakim Nordstrom, Sheldon Brookbank, David Rundblad
Kings (projected) lineup:
Gaborik-Kopitar-Brown
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
King-Richards-Williams
Clifford-Stoll-Lewis
Muzzin-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Greene-Martinez
Quick
Injured: Robyn Regehr; Scratched: Jeff Schultz, Jordan Nolan, Andy Andreoff, Patrik Bartosak, Derek Forbort, Colin Miller, Scott Sabourin, Nick Shore, Jordan Weal, Brayden McNabb, Andrew Bodnarchuk, Linden Vey, Andrew Campbell, Colin Fraser
Game Notes:
- Trying to harness the element of surprise or…something, Joel Quenneville and the Blackhawks are keeping tonight’s forward lineup a ~SECRET~ until the game actually starts. My column here.
- The Kings lineup stays intact from game three, and I’ll repeat my comment that I think this is pretty much the platonic ideal of lineups, given the team’s current personnel. The second line and the rookies have been getting all attention after some really good performances against Chicago (bless you, Kings double agent Michal Handzus), but the whole team is clicking along pretty well right now.
- As the esteemed LA Kings Insider pointed out, the top line directed twelve shots at Corey Crawford on Saturday night and was rewarded with zero points for their efforts. If they sustain that kind of offensive pressure, they won’t “have a break out game” so much as just “continue to be good at hockey”.
- I feel like I should say something about the defence. Umm. It continues to exist, probably? They’ve been quite competent, but not spectacular. The return of Willie Mitchell/untimely demise of Robyn Regehr seems to have provided some nice stability, and the nerve-wracking train-wreck-y tendencies from earlier in the Sharks and Ducks series have largely dissipated.
- STOP TAKING PENALTIES, YOU IDIOTS.
- ~Fun With Numbers~ from Extra Skater.
- Prediction: Kings actually don’t even come on the ice for the first two periods, then kick the shit out of the Blackhawks in the third and still win. STREAMERS EVERYWHERE.