Preview: Kings at Blackhawks

[December 30, 2013]  The NHL's most potent offense will be pitted against its stingiest defense when the Chicago Blackhawks play host to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. The Blackhawks are showing no signs of a letdown following their run to the Stanley Cup last season, amassing a league-high 157 goals - including at least five in six of the past 10 games. Chicago, which eliminated the Kings in five games in last season's Western Conference final, posted a 3-1 win over Los Angeles on Dec. 15.

The setback to the Blackhawks earlier this month was the only loss for the Kings during a 10-game stretch and ended an 18-game streak in which they had permitted two goals or fewer. Los Angeles enters Monday's matchup coming off back-to-back defeats and lost at Nashville 3-2 in the final minute on Saturday night to kick off their four-game road trip. The Blackhawks are also coming off a jolting defeat, squandering a trio of two-goal leads in a 6-5 shootout home loss to St. Louis.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports, TSN2, CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE KINGS (25-10-4): Los Angeles is coming off back-to-back regulation losses for the first time since the second and third games of the season and must figure a way to contain an offense that has produced 17 goals in the last three games. “Their top players have been awesome all year and you’ve got to make it difficult on those guys, and that going to take five-man units sticking together out there,” Kings captain Dustin Brown said. Facing Chicago's vaunted power play could be an issue for Los Angeles, which has allowed its opponent at least four chances with the man advantage in four straight games and eight of the last 11.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (27-7-7): Patrick Kane continues to push Sidney Crosby for the league scoring lead, registering a goal and two assists Saturday to extend his point streak to a career-high 14 games. Kane has eight goals and 17 assists during that span and has failed to hit the scoresheet only once in the past 27 games to pull within five points of Crosby. Patrick Sharp has been equally as hot for Chicago, erupting for six goals in a three-game stretch and scoring 11 times in the past 10 games, while captain Jonathan Toews has collected 15 points over his last 10 games to give the Blackhawks three players with at least 40 points.

OVERTIME

1. The game could feature a matchup of rookie goalies who opened the season in the minors: Chicago's Antti Raanta (9-1-3) and Los Angeles' Martin Jones (8-1-0).
   

2. Kings F Jeff Carter has scored five goals in his last eight games.
   

3. Chicago has scored a power-play goal in 13 of its last 14 games.
   

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Kings 2

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