Blackhawks at Kings
The Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks conclude their seven-game Circus road trip against the red-hot Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, and hope to have star center Jonathan Toews back in the lineup. Toews left Wednesday's 2-1 loss to San Jose with an upper-body injury and missed Chicago's 3-2 victory over Anaheim on Friday, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said his captain is day-to-day and could return Saturday.
“Jonny’s importance to our team is immense,” Quenneville told reporters. “In all situations, the minutes he absorbs and the assignments he gets against him - they’re all important minutes when he’s out on the ice. There’s a lot of ice time and a lot of quality ice time (to fill) if there’s not Jonny Toews in your lineup.” Los Angeles is well-rested after defeating the New York Islanders 4-2 on Wednesday for its fourth straight victory, and goaltender Peter Budaj is expected to make his 19th start in a row Saturday as he continues to fill in for the injured Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff. The Kings welcomed Anze Kopitar back to the lineup Wednesday after they went 3-1-1 in the five games he missed with hand and wrist injuries. Chicago prevailed 3-0 on Oct. 30 in the first of three meetings this season behind 32 saves from Corey Crawford but backup Scott Darling, who won all four of his starts this season - all in the second contest of back-to-back games - is expected to start Saturday.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (14-6-2): Patrick Kane helped offset the loss of Toews with a goal (seventh of the season) and assist Friday, giving him team bests of 15 assists and 21 points. Artem Anisimov scored his ninth goal - second-most on the club to Marian Hossa's 11 - while Ryan Hartman recorded his third in five games. "When you're missing a captain and one of your better players, you need to step up," Hartman told reporters. "I think we all did that and played a really solid game."
ABOUT THE KINGS (11-9-1): Kopitar played 19:01 on Wednesday and centered Trevor Lewis and Dwight King, who scored twice to double his goal total for the season. Jeff Carter (team highs of nine goals and 17 points) was kept off the scoresheet by the Islanders after igniting Los Angeles' winning streak with four goals and two assists in the previous three contests. Marian Gaborik, who suffered a foot injury while playing for Team Europe during the World Cup of Hockey, said he's ready to return to the lineup Saturday but coach Darryl Sutter told reporters Friday that "we'll talk to him in the morning" before making a decision.
OVERTIME
1. Chicago lost 49-of-67 faceoffs against Anaheim without Toews, who leads the NHL in faceoffs won (292). Toews' 60.3 percent led the NHL before the Ducks C Ryan Kesler won 22-of-30 on Friday to increase his percentage to 60.7.
2. The Blackhawks, who went 14-3-2 in their previous three Circus road trips, are in danger of suffering their first losing one since 2006.
3. The teams combined to win five of the last seven Stanley Cups with Chicago winning in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and Los Angeles in 2012 and 2014.