Blackhawks hope lessons from previous loss to Kings translates to victory tonight

Chicago Blackhawks (11-9-6, 28 pts) @ Los Angeles Kings (12-7-7, 31 pts)
9 pm CT – Crypto.com Arena
TV: ESPN+ (Bernstein/Campbell-Pascall
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Konroyd)

The Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings will play each other twice in the next three days. We have seen much of this since the strange “COVID” season of 2021, when the entire 56-game schedule consisted of 28 two-game series. I’m surprised there aren’t more of these on the NHL schedule, as the teams like them for numerous reasons.

The season series will wrap with these two games. The Kings won the only meeting at the United Center back in October. Connor Bedard had the lone Blackhawks’ goal in the 3-1 loss. These will be two tough road games, as Los Angeles doesn’t make it easy to play offense. Bedard said they play a “boring” style of hockey after their last meeting.

“It’s not like a dig or anything,” he said. ‘‘They sit back a lot and make it hard to get zone entries. We’re putting it in and trying to go get it, but they’re good at breaking it out.”

Playing with a lead tonight would be huge for the Blackhawks, as it won’t allow the Kings to clamp down defensively as hard as they want to. Hopefully, this young squad learned from that experience and carries it over into tonight and Saturday.

The Kings have a balanced offensive attack. As you can see by their team leaders below, they are getting scoring from up and down the lineup. However, they don’t score a lot. They are 28th in goals per game, despite averaging nearly 29 shots a night. Their 9.2 shooting percentage is 31st in the league, while the Blackhawks are third at 12.6%. Limiting second-chance opportunities will go a long way towards success tonight.

Drew Doughty will return to the Kings’ lineup tonight. He’s missed the last seven games after blocking a shot off his foot against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 15. Forward Warren Foegele is expected to return, as well, after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury.

How Does Sam Rinzel React?

Sam Rinzel’s roller coaster first professional season continued Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights. He played a season-low 9:30 and had only one shift in the third period. He spent the final 16:51 of regulation and all of overtime on the bench.

This is a far cry from the beginning of the season, when Rinzel was regularly playing over 20 minutes a night. With Blashill playing seven defensemen, he can have more flexibility and send messages in the course of a game without taxing the rest of the blueliners. He obviously wants more from the 21-year-old, and that was a good way to tell him.

Rinzel has had nights where he’s looked fantastic, and nights where he’s been a passenger on the Struggle Bus. At no time could you consider him a liability on the ice. He’s a young defenseman going through the normal struggles a player of his experience does. We’ll see how he reacts tonight.

Spencer Knight Looks to Change Luck vs Kings

Spencer Knight has been a key contributor to the Blackhawks’ success this season. He’s played so well that he’s making his case to play for Team USA at the Winter Olympics. However, he’s been a hard-luck loser against the Kings in his career.

In four career starts against Los Angeles, he is 1-2-1, despite posting a .950 save percentage (SV%) and 1.75 goals-against average (GAA). He made his Blackhawks debut against the Kings last March, stopping 41 shots in a 5-1 victory. Arvid Soderblom started the game at the United Center earlier this season.

Tyler Bertuzzi Loves LA

There is little doubt that Bedard and Knight have been the two most valuable players for the first 26 games. However, you can put Tyler Bertuzzi right behind them as his terrific second season in Chicago continues. Since November 1, he has 12 goals and 17 points in 13 games. He has been a road warrior, with 11 goals and 17 points in his 12 games away from the United Center.

You can bet Bertuzzi grinned when he saw back-to-back games against the Kings on the schedule. He enters tonight’s game with a goal and five points during his four-game point streak versus Los Angeles. In 12 career games against them, he has four goals and nine points. Against tonight’s likely starter, Darcy Kuemper, Bertuzzi has one goal on 10 shots.

Season Series

10/26 vs LAK, L 1-3
12/4 @ LAK
12/6 @ LAK

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Connor Bedard (17)
A-Bedard (21)
P-Bedard (38)
PPG-Tyler Bertuzzi (7)
GWG-Bedard (3)
SOG-Bedard (91)
PIM-Colton Dach (32)

Kings Team Leaders

G-Kevin Fiala (10)
A-Quinton Byfield (15)
P-Adrian Kempe (23)
PPG-Anze Kopitar (3)
GWG-Kempe (4)
SOG-Kempe (83)
PIM-Jeff Malott (23)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-3.19 (9th)
GA/G-2.88 (13th)
PP%-22.8 (9th)
PK%-84.4 (5th)
SOG/G-25.3 (27th)
SA/G-30.2 (26th)
FO%-47.2 (28th)
PIM/G-11:39 (30th)

Kings Team Stats

GF/G-2.62 (28th)
GA/G-2.62 (6th)
PP%-13.8 (30th)
PK%-80.5 (20th)
SOG/G-28.6 (14th)
SA/G-26.0 (6th)
FO%-48.9 (20th)
PIM/G-7:23 (6th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Ryan Greene-Connor Bedard-Andre Burakovsky
Oliver Moore-Frank Nazar-Tyler Bertuzzi
Teuvo Teravainen-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Colton Dach-Ryan Donato

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser-Artyom Levshunov
Matt Grzelcyk-Connor Murphy
Sam Rinzel

Scratched
F-Sam Lafferty, F-Landon Slaggert

Injured
F-Nick Foligno (hand)

Kings Probable Lines

Forwards
Trevor Moore-Anze Kopitar-Adrian Kempe
Kevin Fiala-Quinton Byfield-Joel Armia
Andrei Kuzmenko-Philipp Danaualt-Alex Laferriere
Warren Foegle-Alex Turcotte-Corey Perry

Defensemen
Mikey Anderson-Joel Edmundson
Drew Doughty-Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin-Cody Ceci

Scratched
F-Samuel Helenius, D-Jacob Moverare, F-Jeff Malott

Injured
None

Goaltending Matchup

Spencer Knight (8-5-5, 2.52 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 SO) vs Darcy Kuemper (8-5-5, 2.37 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO)