Kings know Game 3 against Blackhawks is virtually win-or-else

Justin Williams might have saved the Kings in Game 7 with his two goals against the San Jose Sharks in the last round, but suddenly the savior was sounding like a sage on Monday.

Sage … with a hint of Yogi Berra.

“It’s not do-or-die tomorrow, but it is,” Williams said.

Dropping the first two games of the Western Conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks put the Kings in a tenuous position heading into Game 3 on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

The players weren’t backing off the notion that the season is on the line. This will be their third game in four nights as the Kings try to bounce back from a forgettable 48 hours in Chicago.

“Do I feel we played a better game than in Game 1?” Williams said. “Yes, but that’s what losers say.”

Said Colin Fraser: “We’re certainly not making it easy on ourselves, right? I don’t know, but you’ve got to find a way. It’s the playoffs, you’re playing lots of games in a short amount of time. You have to find a way to dig in.”

They will attempt to maintain their perfect playoff record at home (7-0), and extend their 14-game winning streak at Staples Center. And they might have to do so without center Mike Richards, their leading playoff scorer. He was a last-minute scratch from Game 2, dealing with “symptoms” related to a hard check from Dave Bolland in the last two minutes of Game 1.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter had said Richards was fine and expected him to be in the lineup for Game 2. But the pregame warmups suggested otherwise and set off an unusual scramble shortly before the puck dropped.

“That’s a player you trust,” Sutter said. “You know how he plays. I think once he got to the United Center [Sunday] night, he starts thinking about being a warrior, he starts going through his routine, you go through your meeting, then you go out for warmup. He knows himself.”

Sutter also had to evaluate the condition of defenseman Robyn Regehr, who was hit in the head with a puck during warmups and needed stitches before the game. He did play in Game 2.

The absence of Richards, who has a concussion history, has a larger impact on the lineup. Richards missed three weeks last season when he suffered a concussion, via a hit from Florida’s Sean Bergenheim. Sutter said replacing Richards is not like losing a journeyman.

“You have to have the backup plan and be ready for it,” Sutter said. “That’s the first thing you do. It’s tough to lose a player at that time. But the first thing you have to do as a head coach is to address it as a group.

“It’s not like Mike Richards is a guy you sort of spot in your lineup. He’s a significant part of everything. If you’re into matchups, faceoffs, penalty killing, last minutes, first minutes, it moves everybody around a little bit.”

With Richards out, Jeff Carter centered Dustin Penner and rookie Tyler Toffoli. The Kings’ two goals in the 4-2 loss to Chicago in Game 2 came from Carter and Toffoli, and Toffoli assisted on Carter’s goal.

Sutter said it was their best line, and Williams lauded the youngster, Toffoli, saying: “I think Tyler is going to be a phenomenal NHL player, for a long time.”

In Game 2, Kings goalie Jonathan Quick gave up four goals on 17 shots, leading to a rare sight: Quick being pulled. It was the first time in more than three years he has been taken out during a playoff game.

Quick was pulled twice during the regular season and he responded with a win in his next start. But the burning playoff issue hasn’t been goaltending, which has hovered around the spectacular range. It goes back to the Kings’ inability to score.

“We’ve had trouble scoring, not just playoffs,” Sutter said. “Going back six games into the season. Even though we finished fifth in the conference. We saw it last year in the playoffs too.”

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

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