Ladies and gents, we have ourselves a series. And is it really any question that it’ll go seven games?
Kings vs. Blues Game 4 recap: Los Angeles evens series on home ice
Anze Kopitar finally got off the schneid in a big way.
USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Kings defended their home ice for the second straight game, beating the Blues 4-3 to even the series up at two wins apiece. And they finally got some help from their big stars.
Jeff Carter rallied the troops from a 2-0 deficit early with a sweet goal of his own, and Dustin Penner cashed in a few minutes later on one of the more perfectly executed three-on-ones you'll ever see.
When the Blues' T.J. Oshie retook the lead in the second period, it looked like the Kings wouldn't be able to beat Brian Elliott. And then the third period happened.
Dustin Brown completely schooled Oshie in the corner, leading to this set-up for Anze Kopitar. It was Kopitar's first goal of the playoffs.
Less than a minute later, Justin Williams deflected a shot past Elliott for the game-winner.
And just like that, we have a series.
Let’s answer some questions we had before the game.
1. Will Game 4 take on the same attitude as the three previous games?
The hard hitting was there. But the scoring was off the charts compared with what we’d seen in the previous three games. At times the two teams abandoned their preferred grinding styles in favor of wide-open hockey. Neither squad played particularly inspiring defensive hockey.
2. Will the contest be decided by a single goal?
It sure did. And for awhile, it looked like the Kings would be on the losing end of it. But they managed to find a way to get past Brian Elliott in the end.
3. Will the Kings’ face-off percentage improve?
The Kings improved on the face-off dot, winning 51 percent of their draws. Did it have a factor in the outcome? Yes. But not as much as the defensive lapses by the Blues.
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