The Kings gave the Hawks 3 goals, and have now given the Hawks their 3rd victory in the series.
The Kings scored the vital first goal, but lost. The Kings had a lead late in the 2nd period, but lost. The Kings had 4 Power Plays, more than the Hawks at 3, but lost. The Kings killed off a 2 man disadvantage for :53 seconds, but lost. The Kings were given a Power Play late in the 3rd period when down a goal, but could not convert, and lost.
Chicago is willing to let the Kings skate out of their own zone, but they concentrate on stifling the rush thru the center zone. This is usually what the Kings hope for, the opportunity to generate speed on exit, make smart plays thru center and have a balance between (1) carries into the zone and (2) dump-ins.
In this game, the Kings came out strong, but their game deteriorated steadily. Too often the Kings made hope passes to escape only simple, soft pressure, and rather than a structured breakout with mounting speed and control the Kings were unable to create solid possession often enough to back the Hawks up.
Flip-outs and giveaways further enhanced Chicago’s transition play. The team from Chicago is called “Blackhawks” as if they hunt, but actually they feast like buzzards, peeling the flesh from a body of mistakes.
By the end of the 2nd period, the Kings had completely lost their game. A late goal in that 2nd period, after Kopitar got caught out for a 90 second shift, tied the game. An early goal in the 3rd, when the Kings seemed to consider playing defense with no players on the ice, led to the Hawks winning goal.
The Kings had zone time, but it was in their own end. The X Ray:
12-4. That is the “grit” quotient of this game. The Kings committed 8 giveaways and allowed the Hawks to have 4 takeaways. The Hawks committed 3 giveaways and allowed just 1 takeaway.
0-4. The Kings Power Play looked dangerous, had chances, was incredibly efficient on entry and setup. Then, it all came to the creative shot-making, net-front screening and rebound shots. Those last three are where the zero comes from.
3 goals, off 3 mistakes.
On the first Hawks goal, Quick flubbed it on a distant shot from Bryan Bickell; must be a strong witch doctor in Chicago, maybe he even travels with the team.
On the second Hawks goal, Kopi was out there for 2 full shifts. When his linemates had already gone off, Kopitar had the puck at center and could have gained the red line to send the puck deep for Williams and Brown to forecheck.
Instead, Kopi bailed on a hit 1 step short of the red line, and then tried an ill-advised soft, short backhand saucer pass to the wrong side and behind Justin Williams, who was double-covered anyway.
Hjalmarsson got it on the second bounce after it missed Williams, and fired a stretch pass to Bickell at the Kings blue line. Bickell skated it in, the puck never left the zone for 40 second of pressure and cycle by the Hawks, and then a point shot was not blocked by Kopi. Bickell tipped it, and Patrick Kane poached the roller as it crossed the goal line behind Quick.
On the third Hawks goal, a valiant penalty kill (of a stupid Regehr penalty for rubbing out Kane HOURS after the puck had been gone) ended with the puck at the penalty box door, and Regehr probably had to be careful not to step on it as he came out. It might have been better if Regehr HAD stepped on it; maybe he would have fallen and stayed out. Rather, Regehr completely disregarded the play and went directly to the bench.
Richardson could not catch the puck, and was obviously victimized by 2-minutes worth of Interference on a moving “pick” from Jonathan Toews. Doughty saw Regehr changing, and despite having been on the ice for maybe 15 seconds he inexplicably deserted the middle of the ice at the Kings blue line, as if to go off the ice with Regehr.
Since Richardson had been railroaded off the puck-carrier, the Hawks had time with the puck. Carter was pressuring and angling well at center, but a nice pass from Oduya went between his feet to Handzus. Doughty tried to turn and catch up, but Handzus had Hossa at his right wing and Muzzin barely missed stopping the cross-ice pass. Hossa talented a one-timer past Quick to give the Hawks the lead for the first time in the game, and that would be all they’d need.
The Kings “push-back” consisted of 2 shots in the 3rd period. That includes a Power Play, granted with 4:37 to go in the game. This golden opportunity generated 2 shots; for the Hawks.
Old problems resurfaced. Perimeter play, no shots, lousy Power Play results despite seeming effectiveness, a soft goal early given up by Quick, and many more.
Perhaps the most problematic tendency to which the Kings revert this post-season is the inability to simply beat the first forechecker well enough to create a solid, receivable pass to an open skater.
Our guys could deke-skate it past the 1st-man pressure, or they could feint and pass it off. The skaters could be more open, by slash-skating diagonally more thru center, or simply achieving inside position and then beating their guy for the puck and the space. It’s about poise on the breakout, and then it becomes about will in the attacking zones.
By sloppy handling of the puck, the Kings let Chicago establish the structureless counter-punch game of transition attack, and that is how they lost this game.
Watching the Boston series, I see guys able to accept passes and create, even when guys are on them with tight-checking. It’s the littlest battles of will and determined anticipation that create “space” to make plays, and the Kings are not making that space and not making those plays. They look good sometimes, but are actually playing a one-dimensional game of attempted cycles and accepting play on only the outside of the attacking zone.
