CHICAGO — Spencer Knight impressed in his first outing for the Chicago Blackhawks, making 41 saves to help secure a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.
Defensemen Alec Martinez and Ethan Del Mastro each found the back of the net as the Blackhawks kicked off a three-game homestand with back-to-back wins. Contributions also came from Ilya Mikheyev, Andreas Athanasiou, and Ryan Donato, who all scored in the game.
Knight joined the Blackhawks via a trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones to Florida on Saturday.
Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar notched his 14th goal of the season, though it wasn’t enough to prevent the Kings from enduring their fourth consecutive loss. In goal for the Kings, Darcy Kuemper managed 14 saves.
Mikheyev broke a 1-1 tie early in the second period with his 12th goal, just 46 seconds in. The Blackhawks then benefited when Del Mastro aimed the puck towards the net, which inadvertently deflected off Kings defenseman Jacob Moverare’s left skate and into the goal. It marked Del Mastro’s second goal in 13 career games, following his recent score against Vegas.
Chicago sealed the game with Donato scoring into an empty net with 1:30 left on the clock, marking his 22nd career-high goal of the season.
Takeaways:
Kings: During their four-game losing streak, the Kings have only managed to score six goals.
Blackhawks: Knight is still acclimating to his new team, but he demonstrated considerable skill during his debut performance.
Key Moment:
Athanasiou added to the Blackhawks’ lead at 1:20 into the third period, scoring his first goal in two games since being called up from the minors.
Key Stat:
As the NHL trade deadline approaches this Friday, Donato has shown impressive form, scoring nine goals and delivering 12 assists in his latest 16 games.
Up Next:
Both teams will play at home on Wednesday night. The Kings face off against the St. Louis Blues, while the Blackhawks will compete against the Ottawa Senators.
