*Photo from LA Kings insider*
With the playoff chase as a dogfight, every win for a team that hasn't clinched a playoff spot is pivotal. Phillip Danault scored, Andreas Athanasiou scored, and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks with a 4-1 victory on Thursday night in Los Angeles.
The Kings won their 3rd straight game, maintaining pace in the Pacific Division race, moving 5 points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for 3rd place, and are just two points behind the Edmonton Oilers for second place. Danault's goal marked the 5th straight game he has scored, and continued his point streak to 7 games, both career highs.
Asked about the win, Athanasiou said that "Obviously the guys have been battling hard all year and put us in a position where we're in a good spot right now. And with these last few games, we really got to dial in and secure that place for the playoffs and just take it one game at a time."
The only goal of the first period came from Danault, who scored a power play goal 11:58 into the game, putting the Kings ahead 1-0 after one. In the second period, the lead became 2-0 when Anze Kopitar picked up his 19th goal of the season. Patrick Kane scored on the power play to get the Blackhawks on the board, making it 2-1 after two periods of play.
In the 3rd period, Athanasiou got on the board for the Kings, making it a 3-1 game 11:45 into the 3rd, marking his 10th goal of the season, an unassisted goal. A mere 15 seconds later, the Kings had a 4-1 lead, with Trevor Moore's 16th goal of the season. Assists came from Alex Edler and Viktor Arvidsson, sealing the win.
Getting the start for the Kings was Jonathan Quick, the veteran who is used to playoff success in Los Angeles, backstopping the Kings to two Stanley cup titles. Quick stopped 15 of 16 Chicago shots, posting a .938 save percentage. Quick's record improved to 21-13-9 with the win.
Los Angeles head coach Todd McClellan said of Quick's play that "This is his time of year, and he has elevated his game. Players get into a zone, and I believe he's found that zone, so put your money on 32 starting on Saturday."
It was Collin Delia who made the start for the Blackhawks, getting tagged with the loss. Delia turned aside 31 out of the 35 shots he faced from the Kings, posting a .886 save percentage before being removed from the game due to cramps. Kevin Lankinen made one save in relief. Delia's record drops to 1-4-0 with the loss.
Blackhawks interim head coach Derek King said of the loss that "They were buzzing. We knew they were going to come hard, we just couldn't find the energy. We looked tired physically. We looked tired mentally. We were getting frustrated. Hats off to them, they played a good game."
Up next, the Kings play host to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night, with Quick to get the start in goal. The Blackhawks continue their road trip against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, with Lankinen expected to start.
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