Everything Else

It’s never easy to try and look clear-eyed after something like last night. But if you can cut away the emotion of all of this, it doesn’t take an expert to see that the Kings’ power play is the difference in this series. Because at even-strength, it’s been pretty even, if the Hawks haven’t actually shaded it. But the special teams battle makes this series look like a mismatch. That particular facet certainly is.

It’s too simplistic to say that it’s due to inept penalty killing, because this Kings’ PP is humming. I’m not sure any team could stop it right now, though one with a coach able to recognize what is actually happening might stand a chance (however infinitesimal). The Hawks have yet to recognize the problem, or if they have they haven’t really done much about it. I went back through all the power play goals the Kings have scored this series (boy that was fun) to see if we can’t find the problem.

Everything Else

Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

And so it’s come down to this. Not that we should have been blind-sided by any of this. Following the Game 2 aftermath, it was pretty evident to see that Los Angeles possessed a much more potent offense than their version from last year. It shouldn’t have taken a six goal output to discover that. Perhaps it did to the mouthbreathers that were openly cheering for the Kings to dispense of Anaheim in the previous round but certainly not to anyone who watched them play hockey for more than a few minutes.

Everything Else

oldschool at centerpiece-king

Game Time: 8:00PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, TSN (Anglo), RDS (Franco), WGN-AM 720
Help Me Rhonda: The Royal Half, Jewels From The Crown, Battle of California

With a pivotal Game 4 taking place on South Figeuroa later this evening, the question of this series has become can the Hawks generate enough secondary scoring to match that of the Kings, and thus finding a way to stem the tide of the Kings’ lethal second line. Or is Jonathan Toews basically going to have to do all of this by himself?