Live discussion: Kings vs. Blackhawks, Game 4 preview

Join Times Kings writer Lisa Dillman and hockey Hall of Famer Helene Elliott today at 1 p.m. as they discuss tonight’s Game 4 between the Kings and Chicago Blackhawks in a live video chat.

A lot of discussion after Game 3 focused on the high-sticking incident where Chicago’s Duncan Keith slashed Jeff Carter in the face. Keith has been suspended for tonight’s Game 4.

As Elliott wrote earlier this week,

“Jeff Carter’s thick beard almost covered a line of stitches on the right side of his chin, a painful souvenir of the high stick the Kings forward absorbed from Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith on Tuesday. The one-handed and admittedly retaliatory swing earned Keith a deserved one-game suspension from the NHL.

“Keith, enraged after Carter had slashed at his bare hand, might have been aiming at Carter’s shoulder and later apologized for his poor aim. Still, he had to be held accountable for striking Carter in the face and for the damage he caused.

“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 helpless 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’ 3-1 victory and cut the Blackhawks’ Western Conference finals lead to two games to one.

“Keith, who leads Chicago with an average of 24 minutes 44 seconds’ ice time per game, will miss Game 4 on Thursday at Staples Center. Carter is expected to play as the Kings try to extend their home winning streak to 16.

“What are a few stitches and soreness when your playoff prospects are on the line?

“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.”