LOS ANGELES — Marian Hossa scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Blackhawks moved to the brink of the Stanley Cup finals with a 3-2 victory over the Kings last night in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
Patrick Kane tapped home the tying goal as Chicago rallied from a second-period deficit to snap the defending Stanley Cup champions’ 15-game, home-winning streak — which began in March. Bryan Bickell had a goal and an assist for the top-seeded Blackhawks, who took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and stand one win from their second Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 1992.
Slava Voynov and Dustin Penner scored for the Kings, who had won their first eight playoff games at Staples Center. The defending champs are in trouble after Jonathan Quick failed to match Corey Crawford, who made 19 saves.
Game 5 is tomorrow night in Chicago.
The Blackhawks won without top defenseman Duncan Keith, who served a one-game suspension for high-sticking Jeff Carter in the face during the second period of Game 3. Keith is the Hawks’ top-scoring defenseman, but Sheldon Brookbank filled in while Chicago played strong team defense in front of Crawford, who has matched the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in the other net.
“[Keith] is the guy who plays the most on the blue line,” Hossa said. “When you miss him, someone else has to step up, and our guys did.”
Los Angeles hadn’t lost a playoff game at home since Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals last season, winning nine straight overall, but the Blackhawks figured out how to end the NHL’s longest home postseason winning run since 2009. The Kings had been outstanding when playing with a lead in front of Quick, who stopped 25 shots, but Los Angeles uncharacteristically surrendered a 2-1 lead late in the second period.
After Los Angeles killed a penalty to open the third period, Michal Handzus caught the Kings napping and set up a break with the speedy Hossa, who ripped a precise shot for his seventh goal of the postseason.
“We had a semi 2-on-1, and [Handzus] made an excellent play to me, and we got the goal,” Hossa said.