Kings, Blackhawks will be missing key players in Game 4

The Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks will each be missing a key player during Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Thursday night at Staples Center.

The Kings won’t have center Mike Richards, who is still recovering from a concussion he suffered on a hit by Chicago’s Dave Bolland in Game 1. The Blackhawks won’t have standout defenseman Duncan Keith, who was suspended for one game by the NHL for high-sticking Kings forward Jeff Carter in Game 3.

The Kings have been down this road before during the playoffs, having lost center Jarret Stoll for the last six games of their seven-game, second-round victory over San Jose. And they played most of the regular season without injured defensemen Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene, two of their top six defensemen during last year’s Stanley Cup run.

The Blackhawks have had a stable lineup during the playoffs, using only 20 skaters and one goaltender (the Kings have used 23 skaters and two goaltenders). Keith, who averages a team-high 24 minutes, 44 seconds’ of ice time per game, will be replaced Thursday by Sheldon Brookbank, a former Duck who hasn’t played since the Blackhawks’ regular-season finale April 27. He played 26 games this season, with one goal and a minus-2 defensive rating.

“I had to tell Brooksie a couple of times, ‘Be patient, you’re going to get an opportunity, and it could be at the most critical time of the playoffs,’” Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday morning. “It’s a critical time now. Commend him on his patience, his approach, knowing he deserves to be playing. It’s nice to see him get a chance.”

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said Keith’s absence shouldn’t hurt the Blackhawks too much.

“Chicago’s the best team in the league this year not based on one player,” he said. “I don’t think we’re too concerned about one player for them. We’re more concerned about our own players and if they’re healthy.”

Kings defenseman Matt Greene said Keith’s absence won’t change the Kings’ plans.

“Approach it the same way. Worry about our game plan and get ourselves going,” he said. “They’ve got a good team. They can fill in. They can find those minutes by committee. So we’ve just got to worry about our game and make sure that we’re ready to go.”

Center Jarret Stoll said he expected the Blackhawks to spread Keith’s minutes among the rest of their defense corps and suggested the Kings will continue to play aggressively against whoever the Blackhawks put on the ice.

“We’ve got to have that same mind-set to get on these guys and be hard on them, be physical on them and just make it a tough game for them in every situation on the ice,” Stoll said. “It might not go our way in the first period or second period, but if we keep at it, keep with it, by the third period — or if this game goes overtime — they’ll be feeling it.”

Right wing Justin Williams said Keith’s absence doesn’t change anything for the Kings, who must repeat their successful effort from Game 3.

“We need to win this game no matter who’s in the lineup,” Williams said. “Obviously there are bigger parts on teams but together you’re a
team. You play as one. They’re going to need to step up. I’m sure they’ll be talking about that. But we need guys to step up. We have a few guys out of our lineup and need to just continue where we left off.”

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