Los Angeles Kings v Chicago Blackhawks (United Center)
Time: 5.00 PM
TV: RDS, TSN, NBC Sports Network
Enemy reading: Second City Hockey
Series coverage: Notes & Information | Preview | Game 1 recap, grades
Blackhawks (projected) lineup:
Bickell-Toews-Hossa
Sharp-Handzus-Kane
Saad-Shaw-Stalberg
Kruger-Bolland-Frolik
Keith-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Leddy-Rozsival
Crawford
Injured: n/a; Scratched: Carcillo, Mayers, Smith, Brookbank, Stanton
Kings (projected) lineup:
Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Penner-Richards-Carter
King-Stoll-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Richardson
Regehr-Doughty
Scuderi-Voynov
Muzzin-Greene
Quick
Injured: Mitchell; Scratched: Toffoli, Martinez, Ellerby, Nolan, the Manchester Monarchs
Game notes:
- These previews are a lot easier to write when only one or two things go horribly awry, and I can throw in a mix of positive and negative. Instead, today, you get this:
- As Robert noted in his game grades & stats, Dustin Penner had three of the Kings’ five (5) (FIVE) scoring chances in game one. I love Playoff Penner as much as the next person, but holy cats – everything about that statistic is just incredibly depressing.
- I know we all keep banging on about the first line here, but I think I might actually be out of things to say now. I just don’t know what they are doing. Obviously the prevailing theory is an injury, which I think makes sense. The good decision-making largely still seems to be there, but they’re getting out-worked so easily, and they’re no longer providing a safety net for the unproductivity of the bottom six. Given Sutter’s line-matching philosophy, if the Kings can’t stand up to the Blackhawks line-for-line, this series is going to be over very quickly.
- People say Jonathan Quick kind of seems like a jerk, but wouldn’t you be too, if you had to play behind a team that squandered so much of your brilliance?
- #FreeAlecMartinez. #FreeTylerToffoli. #FreetheKings’TalentWhichHasMysteriouslyDisappeared.
- Let’s try this again. The Kings will have to win at least one road game to take this series, so they might as well start now – for real. Prediction: Kings win, seven wins left, onwards & upwards.
