Kings Hold Off Blackhawks For 3-1 Win
CHICAGO (AP) — Torrey Mitchell and Andy Andreoff scored during Los Angeles' dominant first period, helping the Kings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Monday night.
Dion Phaneuf added his second goal in three games since joining Los Angeles in a trade with Ottawa, and Jonathan Quick made 27 saves in the Kings' second straight win since a three-game slide. Los Angeles (32-22-5) also improved to 3-3 on its seven-game trip as it fights for playoff positioning in the Western Conference.
Last-place Chicago looked awful for most of the night during its ninth loss in 10 games, and Quick turned away a possible comeback early in the third. Anton Forsberg made 29 stops for the Blackhawks (25-27-8), and Patrick Sharp snapped an 11-game scoring drought with his seventh goal of the season.
It was the first game at the United Center since the Blackhawks banned four fans from their home games for directing a racist taunt toward Washington's Devante Smith-Pelly. The team also apologized to the forward and the Capitals.
Smith-Pelly was sitting in the penalty box during the third period of Saturday night's 7-1 loss to Chicago when the fans yelled "basketball, basketball, basketball" toward the winger, who is black. An off-ice official sitting next to Smith-Pelly notified security and the fans were promptly ejected.
"Totally unacceptable in our game, in any sport and in society today," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said after the morning skate before the matchup with Los Angeles.
The Kings grabbed control right at the start, outshooting the Blackhawks 15-4 in the first. A streaking Mitchell drove a slap shot from the high slot by a screened Forsberg at 8:31, and Andreoff made it 2-0 when he tipped in Jonny Brodzinski's shot with 3:23 left in the period.
With Chicago's Lance Bouma in the penalty box for interference, Phaneuf beat Forsberg with another big slap shot at 4:04 of the second. The big defenseman also scored in his debut with Los Angeles on Thursday.
Sharp's rebound goal got Chicago on the board 1:42 in the third, and the Blackhawks spent much of the final period in the Kings zone. Quick denied Brandon Saad on a prime short-handed chance about three minutes in, and also stopped Artem Anisimov on a power-play opportunity right in front.
NOTES: The Blackhawks traded D Michal Kempny to Washington for a conditional third-round pick in the 2018 draft. The Capitals will part with the higher selection between their own third-rounder and the Toronto pick they acquired from New Jersey as part of the Marcus Johansson trade. ... Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane skated in his 800th NHL game.
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
Blackhawks: Host the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
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