Throwback Thursday Part Two Kings vs. Hawks
- Updated: June 11, 2015
Ah, those Blackhawks. Arguably the toughest opponent the Kings would face, and the Kings opponent in the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row, so obviously it was rife with tension. In 2013 they stopped us from achieving back-to-back Stanley Cups, so of course, we had to return the favor. We didn’t get the greatest start – but that was to be expected. The Hawks clinched their Conference Final spot May 13th, three days and two games shorter than the Kings record. They were rested. The Kings beat the Ducks, flew the next day, then played game one the day after. So losing 3-1 wasn’t surprising or a real set back. So much so that they won the next three games, and could have closed out the series in the exact way Chicago closed them out the previous year (including doing it in double OT). But, it was not to be. The Kings were set to play their third game seven in as many series.
Marian Hossa #81 of the Chicago Blackhawks and Robyn Regehr #44 of the Los Angeles Kings battle for the puck in the corner at the United Center on December 30, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Kings 1-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)” width=”300″ height=”197″ /> Game two was one for the books. Similar to the series against the Sharks, it didn’t look good to begin with. The Kings couldn’t find any open ice to save their lives. A five on three penalty with Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene, both veteran defensemen, in the box for 38 seconds drained some energy from the first period (though thanks to some stellar saves by Jonathan Quick and smart defense didn’t result in a goal.) The Kings power play couldn’t get anywhere thanks to the highest ranked penalty kill in the league – at 91.7% the Blackhawks only allowed four goals on forty-eight opportunities during the playoffs to that point. A three-on-two shorthanded opportunity for the Kings backfired when their attempt was denied, and Nick Leddy outskated Matt Greene from the neutral zone to have a one-on-one with Quick. Leddy won. Hawks 1-0. Four penalty kills in the first from some sloppy play didn’t help the Kings chances. A second goal 1:40 into the second had Hawks fans thinking the game was all in their hands. So naturally the Kings scored six unanswered goals.
The first came from – who else – Justin Williams? Richards shot the puck towards traffic at the net and Williams somehow batted the puck underneath Corey Crawford, much to the surprise of the Hawks on the ice. Still down one goal going into the third, the Kings tied it up at 1:37 with a power play goal from Drew Doughty at the point, the puck passing about seven players to pass Crawford’s right shoulder. A second power play goal less than three minutes later came from Jake Muzzin, a similar goal to Doughty just from a few feet to the left. That 70’s Line gave us our fourth; Jeff Carter streaked down the neutral zone, shot at Crawford, and Tanner Pearson picked up the rebound from behind the net. He passed to an open Tyler Tofolli directly out front who sniped it past Crawford top shelf. Goal five came with a little over five minutes to go; an odd man rush saw the Hawks unable to catch up to Carter (where have I heard that before?) This time his wrister beat Crawford almost the same place the last three goals did; stick side over the shoulder. Coach Quenniville pulled Crawford for the final empty net goal, and game two was ours. With the empty netter, Carter got his first hat trick of the playoffs. (Four points on seven shifts in the third period. His last hat trick in a conference final came in 2012, another iconic year in franchise history. We can keep him for a while, yes?)
Sting performing the national anthem at Game 3
Game three saw the Kings back home at Staples Center Again, the first period didn’t look great score-wise (blame two goals from Jonathan Toews, including a shorthanded breakaway. Slava Voynov scored on the same penalty 50 seconds later – slapshot from the point.) It wasn’t for lack of trying; the game was fast paced and the Kings looked sharp. A couple of incredible chances about five minutes into the second period didn’t materialize for the Kings, until That 70’s Line came to the rescue. 8:08 into the second frame Carter, who was wide open in front of the center of the net, took Pearson’s pass (from quite a battle for the puck behind the net) and snapped it straight over Crawford, glove side. A turnover in the neutral zone by Carter saw Tofolli skate past three Hawks defensemen and wrist the puck underneath Crawford’s left pad for the Kings third goal. (Four shots on goal, two goals. Not a stat that reflects well for either team really.) It took the Kings almost twelve minutes of the third period to score. In the dying seconds of a power play, (literally – there were four seconds to go and the goal was scored within five seconds off the faceoff), Jarret Stoll won the faceoff, getting the puck to Muzzin, who passed to Doughty. Doughty’s slapshot was pure gold; passing cleanly past four Hawks players including Crawford to reach the back of the net. Doughty made himself a front-runner for the Conn Smythe Trophy during this series. It took a pulled goalie and a timeout for Chicago to be able to score again (thank Tanner Pearson’s speed down the ice to negate icing a few times from the Hawks extra fatigue.) But it was too little too late; the Kings only had to kill 4.2 seconds after the goal to win the game 4-3.
The Los Angeles win game 4 against the Chicago Blackhawks, putting them one win away from going to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Game four was much easier on Kings fans nerves (but dear Lord the Kings couldn’t start the first period off with any momentum to save their lives this whole series). After killing off a rare Anze Kopitar penalty that actually seemed to drain the Hawks momentum, rather than work for them, the Kings easily killed a partial second penalty from Brown not 22 seconds later, then went 4 on 4 for 1:20. They only needed 8 seconds of the remaining power play to score. Several Kings kept a bouncing puck in long enough for Doughty to get it to Muzzin who wristed it from practically the blue line, center ice, top shelf over Crawford’s head. A smart screen by Carter helped. The second goal was Marian Gaborik‘s. He crashed the net and directed a sick angle shot from Kopitar (who stole the puck from Duncan Keith in a stunning forecheck) in between Crawford’s legs. Quenniville was so mad about his team letting in two goals in 2:13 on consecutive shots he called his time out early, which did nothing to quell the Kings drive. They only needed half of a power play to score again with four minutes to go; Dustin Brown redirected a Jake Muzzin shot behind an overextended Crawford. (Three goals on four shots. And remember the Hawks stellar penalty kill? Yeah, neither did the Hawks when the Kings showed up.) The second period was all Kings, allowing only two shots in the first ten minutes, one shot on a power play about ten minutes in. Then a goal by Doughty less than a minute later. Some clever and patient play from the Kings in the Hawks zone set up a Doughty wristshot from the point hit the sweet spot. The Hawks answered a minute or so later with their first goal, but they were only destined to get two, the second coming halfway through the third period during a scramble at the net in which the whole defensive team, especially Quick, was spectacular, but could only stop four of the five shots the bouncing puck made towards the net. Crawford got pulled with three full minutes to go. The Kings ran down two full minutes of that before Pearson’s tenacity paid off. He hustled for almost thirty seconds in the neutral zone, bothering the Hawks, when finally the puck sailed straight to his stick and from there straight into the empty net.
Believe
But the Hawks were not going to give up easily. Clinching games five and six (game five was so close – the Kings weren’t giving up either and rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime, but fell short two minutes into double OT to lose the game 5-4, and game six was so back and forth it could have been anyone’s game), the Hawks forced the Kings to another game seven. This was the seventh elimination game they’d faced in twenty-one games. You’d think at this point they’d be ready. Instead, in true Kings fashion, they instead fell behind early in the game. First goal came a little over five minutes in from a rough angle to Quick’s left from behind the red line, and the second on the power play – a Mr Game 7 WIlliams penalty – less than three and a half minutes later. It’s worthy to note that since expansion in 1967, there have been nineteen game sevens’ in a conference/semi-final, and only once before had a two goal deficit been erased. The Boston Bruins lead 3-1, yet their opponents the Montreal Canadiens came back and won in overtime 5-4 – this game’s final score. (I should also note that last year at this point I was curled up in a little ball watching the game through my fingers, hoping a miracle would happen and I wouldn’t have to hear it from my Hawks friend for the next year.)
The Kings delivered the miracle, shift by shift. It started slowly. A power play drawn by Pearson following the Hawks second goal. Some solid offensive zone time. Tofolli got a few good shots off. The Hawks didn’t – the Kings held them to no shots on goal for over eight minutes after going up two nothing. Then a beautiful interception by Carter from a shot Johnny Oduya fanned on started the rush that lead to the Kings first goal. Brown ended up with it, wristed the shot from the left point and Carter batted the rebound out of the air actually into Crawford. The puck bounced down off him into the back of the net. The goal was under review for a possible high stick, but it was determined that Carter’s stick was underneath the height of the crossbar and ruled a good goal. Williams tied it less than a minute later with 2:38 to go in the first. Voynov took the original slapshot from the right point, and Williams, placed right in front of the net, deflected the rebound in over Crawford’s head. Suddenly the prospect of going to the Stanley Cup Finals didn’t look so dismal. It took twelve seconds for the dream to die again; a puck going in under Quick’s stick and over his blocker saw the Hawks up 3-2.
For the first seven minutes of play in the second period the Kings didn’t even have a shot on goal. For the next two minutes they had to kill a Mike Richards penalty. Finally, 10:31 into the frame, Tofolli tied the game again. Crawford had come out of his crease to stop a shot from Matt Greene who was way out at the blue line, leaving the net wide open for Tofolli to snap the rebound in. A few minutes later the Kings had a 5 on 3 penalty to kill for forty-six seconds. Mitchell in the box, Doughty to join him. I vaguely remember my heart sinking. I had almost given up hope. The Kings hadn’t. They won the first faceoff and sent the puck down the ice – a little bit of life. The first penalty dwindled down. Only two shots on goal, one deflected wide by Kopitar and the second covered by Quick. Five on four. Then with forty-five seconds to go on the Doughty penalty, the game went four-on-four. Amazingly for 4:29 straight of penalties, from 12:11 to 16:40, no one scored. During the next penalty thirty-five seconds later, that wasn’t the case. Quick lost his stick on a spectacular save and before he could recover it, Patrick Sharp slapped one past him. It would take 12:43 minutes into the third period for the Kings to equalize. Gaborik, Brown and Voynov on the rush. Brown took the first shot from the right point. Crawford offered a blocker save. Gaborik batted the rebound backhanded into the back of the net. (Watch the replay – Kopitar is making his way back on the bench and has his back to the ice. He has no idea why his team is celebrating.)
Quick vs. Crawford
The next 7:17 minutes of play was tense. Any chance could lead to a game winning goal. Every save keeps their team in contention to play for the Stanley Cup. (Quick made a spectacular save with 5.3 seconds to go in regulation and I nearly fainted.) Both these teams are juggernauts. Well matched. Every second from 12:43 in the third until 5:47 into OT was heart attack city. (Who am I kidding – every second of this game shaved a year off my life. I’m now almost four thousand years old.) If the trend of the game continued – Hawks score, Kings equalize – the Hawks seemed destined to win in overtime. The Kings were having none of that. Quick made a point black save on Brandon Saad early in. Doughty blocked a Patrick Kane shot close to the front of the net. They were the only good chances the Hawks had before Alec Martinez made his first series winning overtime goal of the 2014 playoffs. The play started behind the goal with Williams. He hustled it around to Martinez at the left point. Matrinez wrister was beautiful. It sailed past three Hawks Nick Leddy, Michal Rozsival and Ben Smith then Crawford to give the Kings their second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in three years.
The LA Kings win game 7 in OT
Not gonna lie, I screamed so loudly at that OT goal I think my neighbors may have wanted to call the cops. At the very least they have to think I have Tourette’s or something – I spent a good three hours alternating between screaming and crying at my TV. (My nerves by the end of the game were completely shot. Thank God the Kings are much more even keel and infamous for their resilience on the ice.) I was so stoked to have beaten the Hawks I nearly fell off my couch. (Did you hear that Drew? *Almost* fell.) I was shaking. The Hawks were the real challenge. Winning the Cup only seemed like an inevitability after that. Winning in five games (and Lord how close did the Kings come to winning it in four?) only proved it. Game one went into overtime, the second into double OT. At the end of the second the Kings became the first team in playoff history to win three straight games after trailing by two goals. But that’s for part three…
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