Kings beat Blackhawks with 5-goal third period

Jeff Carter scored three of Los Angeles’ six straight goals, and the Kings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 on Wednesday night to leave the Western Conference final tied at one game apiece.

Tyler Toffoli and Jake Muzzin also scored in Los Angeles’ five-goal third period as the Kings became the first visiting team to win in Chicago this postseason. The Blackhawks won their first seven home playoff games this year, but the Kings skated right by Chicago after the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the second period.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Nick Leddy and Ben Smith scored for Chicago, which won 3-1 in Game 1 on Sunday.

The Blackhawks were in position for their fourth consecutive win before Carter redirected Drew Doughty’s slap shot by Corey Crawford to tie it at 2 just 1:37 into the third. Muzzin then had another power-play score at 4:04 that gave Los Angeles the lead.

Once the Kings got going, they appeared to get almost anything they wanted against the sagging Blackhawks. Tanner Pearson set up goals by Toffoli at 8:59 and Carter at 14:44, and Carter added an empty-netter for his seventh of the playoffs.

Carter also had an assist in his first career four-point playoff game. It was his second playoff hat trick.

It was the most goals allowed by the Blackhawks in a playoff game since a 6-1 loss to Detroit on May 24, 2009.

Jonathan Quick made 23 saves for the Kings, including a big stop on Brent Seabrook with Chicago trying for a 3-0 lead in the second.

The Blackhawks got off to a strong start, using their speed to draw four penalties in the first period alone. Brandon Saad was responsible for two of the calls, making a pair of nice moves that ended with Matt Greene in the box for hooking and Doughty sent off for holding.

Los Angeles defenseman Willie Mitchell had to cross check Peter Regin into the net to prevent a goal with seven minutes left in the period.

The Blackhawks turned away a short-handed rush by the Kings, and Duncan Keith made a nice pass ahead to a streaking Leddy coming up the right side. The defenseman, who was a healthy scratch for Game 3 of Chicago’s second-round series against Minnesota, then sent a backhander over Quick’s left shoulder at 14:16.

It was Leddy’s second career playoff goal. He also scored on April 21, 2012, at Phoenix.

AP