Kings vs. Blackhawks: Game 4 live updates

Third period (Blackhawks 3, Kings 2)

Empty net again.

Kings left wing Dustin Penner backhands a pass to forward Jeff Carter, but there’s no shot.

Chicago celebrates at net with goaltender Corey Crawford as time runs out.

The best-of-seven Western Conference finals series goes to Chicago on Saturday with the Blackhawks leading 3-1.

Final score of Game 4: Chicago 3, Kings 2.

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Now 2:01 left, and the Kings’ only shot of the period came with 15:21 remaining. Home playoff and 15-game overall winning streak at Staples Center is in trouble.

Kings winger Dustin Brown takes a rare shot with 1:17 left, but Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford saves it. That’s 14 minutes without a shot.

Timeout, Kings.

Empty net.

A long-range shot by right wing Tyler Toffoli is knocked down.

Quick back for a blue-line faceoff.

Chicago keeps it on Kings’ end, 30 seconds left.

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Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson nearly loses the puck skating backward toward goaltender Corey Crawford, a near own-goal.

Big hit by Kings left wing Dustin Brown on Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya.

Chicago right wing Patrick Kane blasts a shot, but Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick holds it.

Now there’s 6:39 left, the Kings still looking for a second shot this period.

Kings right wing Justin Williams tries to fool Crawford with a backhanded attempt; it doesn’t count as a shot.

Five minutes left.

But now there’s a penalty on Chicago, high-sticking on Chicago right wing Michael Frolik with 4:37 left. Huge power play for Kings.

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Through eight minutes of this period, the Kings have one shot.

Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin steals a Chicago pass, but it doesn’t produce a shot.

Chicago right wing Patrick Kane lies on the ice for an extended period after getting inadvetently struck in the face by a stick.

Ten minutes remaining in regulation.

Kings center Trevor Lewis turns to find a puck behind him and next to the net, but he couldn’t handle it effectively enough to get off a shot.

Still just one shot on goal for L.A with 8:37 left.

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Big hit by by Kings left wing Dustin Penner on defenseman Brent Seabrook and a fallen Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Kings called for offsides.

The Kings have 15:51 to avoid the grave danger of traveling to Chicago down 3-1 in this series.

Through two periods, winger Dustin Brown and center Anze Kopitar haven’t shot yet.

Kings center Trevor Lewis’ stick breaks.

A pass by Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr is intercepted by Blackhawks left wing Bryan Bickell, who shoots point-blank at Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, but Bickell is denied. That would’ve been a likely death blow.

The teams are exchanging good hits.

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty whiffs on an open shot.

Chicago right wing Patrick Kane blasts a shot above Quick, who sparkles again, gloving it with 12:32 left.

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The Kings kill off the penalty that was remaining from the end of the second period.

But seconds later, Chicago takes a 3-2 lead as right wing Marian Hossa takes a pass from center Michal Handzus 1:10 into the third and fires a shot high into the net as Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was lunging to his left.

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Second period (Kings 2, Blackhawks 2)

The tying score is the Patrck Kane’s first goal since Game 3 of the Detroit series -- his 23rd playoff goal. Bryan Bickell also assisted.

Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr pounds Kane into the boards, a penalty with 1:00 remaining. Interference.

Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa races to the goal, can’t push it in.

End of second period: Kings 2, Chicago 2.

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Less than 10 minutes remain in the second.

Kings left wing Kyle Clifford fires off the body of Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford. Center Colin Fraser also lets one rip.

How cold is Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews? His only playoff goal came on a power play.

Kings forward Jeff Carter shoots, but Crawford knocks it away to his left.

A penalty on Chicago, right wing Patrick Kane called for hooking with 7:21 left in the period.

Kings defenseman Slava Voynov tries for another goal, it deflects off Crawford’s left pad.

L.A. defenseman Drew Doughty blasts one wide right.

A good pass from Kings left wing Dustin Penner to right wing Tyler Toffoli, but he can’t score.

Kings trying to avoid an 0-for-7 showing in power plays.

Penalty dead, 5:20 remaining in second.

Chicago Coach Joel Quenneville tells NBC Sports he wants more shots, happy enough with the game’s pace.

Big hit by Chicago defenseman Michael Rozsival on Kings center Trevor Lewis, who gives it right back to another Blackhawk.

Chicago right wing Andrew Shaw whiffs on a shot inside three minutes.

Kane shoots, it bounces off Quick; Toews can’t lift it over. Very nearly a goal.

The pressure remains, though, and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson fires from about 20 feet, Kane follows right in front of the net and scores to tie it, 2-2, with 1:39 remaining in the period.

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The Kings, tyrying to kill a 5-on-3 disadvantage, clear the puck once.

Kings center Jarret Stoll knocks down a shot. A shot by Chicago defenseman Nick Leddy is saved superbly by goalie Jonathan Quick with the left glove.

Kings now down only a man. L.A. forward Jeff Carter makes a run short-handed, forcing Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford to make a stick save.

The man advantage is now over too, Chicago failing to get a great shot again at Quick despiute spending an abundance of time in front of him.

A Stoll shot on the other side is wide.

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Kings winger Justin Williams gets a one-on-one shot after entering the game on a line change, but his backhanded try at deception is stopped by Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford.

Penalty on Kings defenseman Matt Greene, a hooking call, 4:40 into the second period.

Blackhawks right wing Andrew Shaw and center Jonathan Toews pressure Kings goalie Jonathan Quick to no avail.

A shot by Kings center Anze Kopitar goes out of bounds, and he’s penalized for delay of game. Chicago gets a two-man advantage for 53 seconds.

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The Kings are 5-1 this postseason in games with a tie score after the first period, and 8-2 when they score first.

Defenseman Robyn Regehr leads the Kings with three shots. The team has 10 to Chicago’s 11, with none by captain Dustin Brown,center Anze Kopitar or scoring leader Jeff Carter.

Kings center Trevor Lewis slaps a shot off Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford in the first minute, Carter misses a backhanded follow.

Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook knocks down Brown as he tries to pursue a loose puck on the Chicago end. No penalty.

Blackahwks left wing Bryan Bickell hits Kings defenseman Drew Doughty with a stick in the neck, no call.

Kings wingerDustin Penner slashes in a shot on a backhand pass friom Carter with 17:48 left in the second. Penner has three goals in the playoffs. Assist also by Tyler Toffoli, his fourth point in three games this series.

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First period (Kings 1, Blackhawks 1)

Kings center Dwight King makes a run at Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford but his scoring attempt is stopped inside five minutes to play in the period.

Crawford again covers the puck after a Kings attack with 4:12 remaining.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter tells NBC Sports he wants stronger neutral zone play by his team.

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick makes a big stand, denying two follow shots by Chicago left wing Bryan Bickell.

Kings winger Justin Williams skates down ice and takes a strong shot at Crawford that bangs off the goaltender’s left torso.

King crosses a good pass toward Trevor Lewis, who dives on the shot attempt and ends up inside the goal. The puck does not. Less than a minute left in the period.

Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews crosses to Bickell, no shot.

The period ends with a tie score: Kings 1, Chicago 1.

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Chicago left wing Bryan Bickell scores for the secong game in a row, flicking a shot that deflected surprisingly off goaltender Jonathan Quick’s left glove and into the net.

What appeared to be a routine save has now evened the score at 1-1 with 6:44 left in the first period.

Bickell has eight goals in the postseason, three against the Kings.

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The Kings were scoreless in five power plays last game, Chicago killing 51 of 53 penalties this postseason.

Nice hit by Chicago’s Patrick Sharp as the penalty ends. The Kings have only one goal in 11 power plays this series.

Slava Voynov’s playoff performance is remarkable, considering the Kings defenseman had six goals in 48 regular-season games, and now has six in 17 playoff games.

Holding penalty on Kings center Jarret Stoll with 11:11 left in the first.

Kings center Anze Kopitar collects a loose puck in front of goaltender Jonathan Quick and pushes it down ice. Chicago has scored once in eight previous power plays.

Kings right win Marian Hossa waits and blasts a hard shot that was high; the Blackhawks fire again and it goes out of play.

The penalty is dead.

Interesting that Chicago stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have only one assist apiece in this series and no goals.

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Chicago goalie Corey Crawford gloves a distant shot to prompt a faceoff in front of him, and Kings defenseman Matt Greene delivers an opening hit to start the festivities.

Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook sweeps away a good centering pass by the Kings.

Chicago’s Niklas Hjalmarsson sends in a shot that Kings goalie Jonathan Quick holds on to. The Blackhawks win the face-off and Marian Hossa puts a shot on Quick that makes him cover again. And again a Hossa offering is gloved.

And now Chicago’s Jonathan Toews charges Quick, who has to sprawl to stop the shot, and Toews collides with Quick after being pushed.

Then, with 16:32 remaining, the Kings’ Slava Yoynov scores his sixth playoff goal on a massive slap shot from about 20 feet after a threat that Voynov started circled Crawford. Assists by Kyle Clifford and Colin Fraser.

Voynov is now plus-11, leading all Western Conference players.

It’s 1-0 for the Kings in a game they desperately want. Returning to Chicago for Game 5 and trailing three games to one would be a nightmare.

Kings winger Dustin Penner nearly scores, great save by Crawford.

And there’s a penalty now on Chicago’s Andrew Shaw for slashing, just 4:39 into the game.

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Captain Dustin Brown called the Kings’ victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 on Tuesday night a “do or die” triumph.

“It’ll be do or die Thursday, too, because going to their place down 3-1 is nowhere we want to be,” Brown said after the 3-1 victory at Staples Center.

Back where they have won 15 consecutive games -- eight in a row during the playoffs -- the Kings try to even the NHL Western Conference finals series.

Chicago will be without defenseman Duncan Keith, who has 10 playoff points (nine assists) but is suspended for Game 4 because of a Game 3 high-sticking incident on Kings’ leading playoff scorer Jeff Carter, who required stitches to repair the facial damage.

Times columnist Helene Elliott reported, “While Keith got a game off, Carter got about 20 stitches on the outside and inside of his mouth, one chipped tooth, and a couple of cracked teeth.”

“But I didn’t actually lose any,” Carter said with that remarkably matter-of-fact tone hockey players use to downplay injuries that leave lesser athletes in tears.

Carter, playing center while Mike Richards recovers from a concussion, returned to the game and assisted on the empty-net goal that capped the Kings’ victory.

Keith leads Chicago with an average of 24 minutes 44 seconds’ ice time per game. Carter is expected to play as the Kings try to extend their home winning streak to 16.

“We were battling in front of the net, up the ice,” Carter said in recapping what happened. “I think I took a swing at his glove there — he was trying to pick it up. I was in front of him. Next thing I knew, I was getting a stick to the face.”

Carter shrugged off suggestions the Kings were angry and might retaliate Thursday.

“There’s bigger things to worry about right now,” he said, his speech slightly impaired by a swollen lip and a gap where a bridge sat until it fell out last week. “We’re in a fight here, down two games to one. I don’t think that’s on our minds.”

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