Chicago Overwhelmed In Loss To Kings

The Chicago Blackhawks hit another low point Saturday night in Los Angeles. It was their second shutout of the season, the third time they’ve allowed six or more goals.. Just 16 days after getting crushed 9–3 in Buffalo, the Hawks were actually in this one after a solid first period… but everything collapsed in the second, and the Kings never looked back. Chicago closes the season series against L.A. with a 1–2–0 record, and this loss will sting for a while.

Game Summary

The Blackhawks came into this game with confidence after beating the Kings 2–1 just two nights earlier. And in the first period, they picked up exactly where they left off. Chicago had the momentum, controlled the puck early, and generated quality looks. They outshot Los Angeles 11–7, held a 21–13 edge in shot attempts, and led 9–6 in scoring chances. They even earned a power play late in the period — but like Blashill said afterward, failing to score first changed everything.

“If we score early, it could be a different game,” Jeff Blashill said. “If we scored on our power play (0-for-3), could be a different game. We were fine, and then momentum matters. They got momentum and we just couldn’t grab it back.” And he’s right. The first 20 minutes were there for the taking.

But once again, everything collapsed in the second period — the same story we’ve seen all season. Chicago is now –9 in second-period goal differential, and tonight showed why. The Kings opened the scoring just 1:55 into the frame on Foegele’s fifth of the year, and from that moment on, the Hawks stopped attacking and lost their edge.

Los Angeles piled on quickly. Kuzmenko added a power-play goal (his fourth), and Clarke followed with his own fourth of the season. The two goals came just 2 minutes and 28 seconds apart, completely flipping the game. From there, it was over.

Spencer Knight did his part with 26 saves on 32 shots, but he got little help. Defensive coverage broke down, puck support vanished, and the Kings kept pushing. In the third period, L.A. added three more goals in the opening nine minutes — Clarke’s second of the night, plus tallies from Anderson and Turcotte. Remarkably, three of the Kings’ six goals came from defensemen.

For Los Angeles, it was their third shutout of the season and only the second time they’ve scored six goals in a regular-season game this year. They dominated the final 40 minutes with 6 goals and 25 shots, while Chicago managed just 12.

Game Stats

Category	Blackhawks	Kings
Goals	0	6
Shots on Goal	23	32
Faceoff %	40.4% (23/57)	59.6% (34/57)
Power Play	0/3 (0%)	1/2 (50%)
Penalty Minutes	6	8
Hits	10	20
Blocked Shots	11	10
Giveaways	18	23
Takeaways	5	7

Three Stars of the Game

1st Star – Brandt Clarke (LAK)
2 goals, 0 assists, 2 points

2nd Star – Alex Turcotte (LAK)
1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points

3rd Star – Mikey Anderson (LAK)
1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point

Notes

Only three Blackhawks finished without a minus rating: Colton Dach, Sam Lafferty, and Louis Crevier. Every other skater ended the night in the red.
Teuvo Teravainen was out, and Landon Slaggert was a healthy scratch.
Spencer Knight allowed six goals for the second time this season, the other coming against Winnipeg.
The game also marked the end of point streaks for both Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, who had been driving the offense lately.
Rinzel struggled, finishing –2 and logging just 12:40 of ice time, one of his lowest totals of the year.

Final Thought

This one will sting for a bit. The Blackhawks had every opportunity to build on Thursday’s win and carried real momentum through the first 20 minutes, but once again the second period became their undoing. Defensive breakdowns, lost battles, and a complete momentum swing put the game out of reach fast. The Kings exposed Chicago’s inconsistency, and the Hawks will need a short memory — because there’s no time to dwell on it.

Next Game

The Blackhawks are right back on the ice tonight in Anaheim to face the Ducks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM CDT, and it’s an important chance for Chicago to reset, respond, and end the road trip on a positive note.