Kings topple Blackhawks, net fifth straight win
CHICAGO -- Christian Folin snapped a scoreless tie midway through the third period, and goaltender Jonathan Quick shined, helping the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
Los Angeles (17-8-3) earned its fifth consecutive victory.
Folin guided a wrist shot through traffic and past Blackhawks backup goaltender Anton Forsberg at 9:29 of the third period. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar assisted on Folin's second goal of the season, which set off a flurry of goals down the stretch.
Brown and Kopitar sandwiched empty-net goals for the Kings around Jonathan Toews' tally for the Blackhawks with 1:46 remaining in the game.
Chicago (12-10-5) outshot the Kings 25-24 but struggled on the power play, going 0-for-4.
Quick, who made 24 saves, has allowed one goal or none in eight of his 22 starts this season.
Forsberg started his second game in as many nights for the Blackhawks, who put regular goalie Corey Crawford on injured reserve with a lower-body injury Friday. Forsberg stopped 21 shots Sunday, including a save on a breakaway from Kings forward Marian Gaborik that followed a Patrick Sharp turnover early in the third period.
Chicago expects Crawford to miss at least three games. Coach Joel Quenneville said before the Sunday game that the club plans to evaluate Crawford on the ice in the coming days.
Playing for the fifth time in seven nights, the Blackhawks showed sluggishness in spots, even as Quenneville worked to shorten shifts and keep four lines involved.
On the power play for a too-many-men-on-the-ice call against the Kings less than 90 seconds into the game, the Blackhawks could not enjoy the full span of the advantage, as officials whistled Chicago for the same penalty 1:36 later.
Chicago outshot Los Angeles 15-6 in the second period and benefited from the attacking presence of defenseman Brent Seabrook, who had a few scoring chances while moving up into the Blackhawks' offensive zone.
The Blackhawks will enjoy a brief respite before traveling to Washington on Wednesday night. A three-game homestand follows, with two days between games. The Kings begin a three-game homestand Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.
NOTES: Kings C Torrey Mitchell made his club debut after joining the organization in a Nov. 23 trade with the Montreal Canadiens. Mitchell, who hails from Canada, had encountered visa issues that delayed his arrival. He did not register a point after going scoreless in 11 games with Montreal. ... Blackhawks C Tanner Kero, D Michal Kempny and D Jordan Oesterle were healthy scratches, as were Kings C Nic Dowd and D Oscar Fantenberg. ... The Blackhawks lead the all-time series with the Kings, 93-76-17-7.