Kings take series lead over Blackhawks with 4-3 win in Game 3

This is rapidly becoming Jeff Carter’s series.

The Kings forward continued to torment the Chicago Blackhawks with a three-point performance in a 4-3 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals at Staples Center on Saturday. The Kings lead the series 2-1.

Carter scored three goals in the third period of Game 2 on Wednesday, rallying the Kings to a 6-2 victory. He continued to overwhelm the Blackhawks in Game 3.

Drew Doughty’s third-period goal gave the Kings a comfortable 4-2 lead. But it was Carter’s work in the first two periods that put them in that position.

Carter got the Kings even, 2-2, by drifting in front of the net, where he was in perfect position to receive a pass from Tanner Pearson, who worked behind the goal and along the boards to secure the puck before making a nifty to in front of the crease. Carter’s one-timer easily beat goaltender Corey Crawford with 11:52 left in the period.

It was Carter’s 35th career playoff goal and fourth in the last three periods of this series.

Carter helped put the Kings ahead. He sent a pass to Tyler Toffoli, who had burst in alone past three Chicago players. Toffoli cut in front of Crawford and slipped the puck underneath the goaltender’s pads 14:19 into the period.

In the first period, Carter’s pass from behind the net set up Slava Voynov’s goal that tied the score, 1-1.

Carter has five goals and 10 points in the last five games.

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick had 24 saves. None were bigger than the two Patrick Kane shots he turned away in the second period. Kane slipped in alone, but was denied from the slot by quick. Kane got the rebound, but Quick stoned him again.

Jonathan Toews had two first-period goals for Chicago. The Blackhawks’ Patrick Sharp scored with 4.2 seconds left in the game.

Kings 4, Blackhawks 3 (4.2 seconds left in third period)

Patrick Sharp tipped in a goal that means very little at this point.

Kings 4, Blackhawks 2 (8:03 left in third period)

A rarity. A shot from the blue line that was nothing but net.

Drew Doughty scores on a slap shot that rocketed past a handful players untouched. It was his second goal of the playoffs.

Kings 3, Blackhawks 2 (end of second period)

The Kings’ Jeff Carter continues to torture the Chicago Blackhawks this evening.

His goal and assist in the second period gave the Kings a 3-2 lead heading into the third period in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals at Staples Center.

The Kings had only four shots in the second period. Two went in. Both involved Carter.

Carter got the Kings even by drifting in front of the net, where he was in perfect position to receive a pass from Tanner Pearson, who worked behind the goal and along the boards to secure the puck before making a nifty to in front of the crease. Carter’s one-timer easily beat goaltender Corey Crawford with 11:52 left in the period.

It was Carter’s 35th career playoff goal and fourth in the last three periods of this series.

Carter later sent a pass to Tyler Toffoli, who had burst in alone past three Chicago players. Toffoli cut in front of Crawford and slipped the puck underneath the goaltender’s pads with 5:41 left in the period.

Kings’ goaltender Jonathan Quick had 10 saves in the period, including back-to-back stops on Patrick Kane, who had slipped in alone with the puck five mintues into the period.

Chicago led, 2-1, at the end of the first period on the strength of two Jonathan Toews goals.

Kings 3, Blackhawks 2 (5:41 left in second period)

Tyler Toffoli burst past three Chicago players, took a Jeff Carter pass and slipped the puck under goaltender Corey Crawford’s pads.

Carter has a goal and two assists in the game. He has five goals and 10 points in the last four games.

Kings 2, Blackhawks 2 (11:52 left in second period)

Nobody on the Kings is playing better than Jeff Carter at the moment.

Carter got the Kings even by drifting in front of the net, where he was in perfect position to receive a pass from Tanner Pearson, who battled to keep possession for a few moments behind the net. Carter’s one-timer easily beat goaltender Corey Crawford. It was his 35th career playoff goal and fourth in the last three periods of this series.

Blackhawks 2, Kings 1 (end of first period)

Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews showed off for Kings fans in the first period of Game 3 at Staples Center this evening.

Toews’ two goals gave the Blackhawks one-goal lead heading into the second period. He has eight goals and 13 points in 15 playoff games.

Toews displayed his skills on the first goal while the Kings were on the power play. He took the puck away from Kings’ defenseman Jake Muzzin, who was left on his backside at center ice. Toews zeroed in on goaltender Jonathan Quick and flicked a wrist shot past him from the left faceoff circle 5:26 into the game.

The Kings evened the score a minute later on a Slava Voynov power-play goal. It was the Kings’ 14th power-play goal in their last 51 opportunities.

Toews struck again after a Michael Rozsival shot went off Muzzin. The puck went off Toews’ skate and onto his stick at the side of the next. He chipped a shot past a scrambling Quick.

Both teams had 10 shots in the period.

Blackhawks 2, Kings 1 (6:41 left in first period)

Jonathan Toews strikes again.

A shot by Chicago’s Michael Rozsival hit Kings’ defenseman Jake Muzzin.

Toews, planted at the goal post, had the puck go off his skate and on to his stick. He chipped the puck past a scrambling Jonathan Quick.

Blackhawks 1, Kings 1 (15:44 left in first period)

The Kings made up for their mistake on the power play.

They went to work immediately after giving up a short-handed goal. Justin Williams centered a pass to Slava Voynov, who hesitated slightly before sending a shot past Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford.

It was Voynov’s second goal and Williams’ 13 point of the playoffs.

Drew Doughty also assisted on the goal.

Blackhawks 1, Kings 0 (14:34 left in first period)

The Kings giveth on the power play.

Chicago’s Jonathan Toews stole the puck from Justin Williams at center ice and zipped into the Kings’ zone and buried a shot past Jonathan Quick for a short-handed goal.

Pregame

Do the Los Angeles Kings have the momentum they need heading into Game 3 tonight to keep home-ice advantage after their startling 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2?

Can the defending Stanley Cup champions come to Staples Center and grab an early lead, as they’ve done in the first two games in this best-of-seven Western Conference finals series, and finish what they started to regain home-ice advantage?

The puck will drop in about 20 minutes, and we’ll have an answer a few hours after that.

Until then, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews isn’t conceding anything despite facing one of the best goalies in the world in the Kings’ Jonathan Quick.

“We expect Quick to make one or two of those a game … he has athleticism, he can make acrobatic saves,” Toews said of the top American goalie, who kept the Kings in Game 2 with a couple amazing saves. “If it gave them momentum, that’s one thing, but we’re not going to worry about it too much.

“We’ll just keep putting pucks on him and we feel eventually they’ll go in.”