NHL West Finals Recap: Patrick Kane’s Late Goal Helps Blackhawks Force Game 7, Series Tied 3-3

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings had the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks right where they wanted them. However, Patrick Kane and had other ideas.

Kane’s goal late in the third period proved to be the difference maker as the defending Stanley Cup champions defeated the Kings 4-3 to force a deciding Game 7.

The Kings got on the board first late in the first period when a wide-open Dwight King beat Corey Crawford with a wrist shot to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.  Just 20 seconds into the second period, the Kings were shorthanded thanks to a holding penalty to Anze Kopitar. The Blackhawks capitalized on their man advantage when Kane, who was the recipient of a give-and-go from Jonathan Toews, beat Jonathan Quick to tie the game at 1. The goal was only the second power play goal scored on the road for the Blackhawks.

Less than two minutes later, forward Ben Smith banked one in off of Quick to give the Blackhawks the 2-1 lead. The Kings nearly tied the game later in the period, but Alec Martinez was unable to complete the wrap around attempt despite a wide open net.

The Kings were able to tie the game at 5:32 of the third period when Drew Doughty fired a shot from between the circles past Crawford to tie the game at 2. With the Kings on the power play, Alec Martinez, who narrowly missed a golden opportunity to tie the game in the second period,  made up for his miss at 7:38 of the third period when he ripped a shot past Crawford to put the Kings ahead 3-2.

Later in the period, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith took a Patrick Kane pass and fired it past Quick to tie the game at 3.

With less than four minutes left in the third, Patrick Kane, who is no stranger to late game heroics, skated to the slot and fired a wrist shot that found its way past Quick to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 lead late in the game.

Despite a late surge by the Kings, the Blackhawks held on for the 4-3 win to stave off elimination. The series now shifts back to Chicago where the teams will face off in a deciding Game 7 on Sunday night at 8 pm (on NBCSN). The winner of that game will host Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Eastern Conference Champion New York Rangers on Wednesday June 4.