Blackhawks visit Kings in matchup of struggling teams

The Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks combined for four consecutive Stanley Cup titles, two apiece from 2012 to 2015, but they've struggled to stay with the other top NHL teams the past couple years.

Both are off to slow starts this season, as well, something each team will try to fix when they meet on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

The Kings have lost four in a row, including a 5-1 loss in Chicago on Sunday, to tumble to the bottom of the Pacific Division standings.

The Blackhawks have lost five of their past six; the lone win against the Kings.

Los Angeles most recently fell to the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-3 on Wednesday. The Kings have allowed five goals in each of the four games on their current losing streak.

Los Angeles gave up four goals on six Vancouver power plays, the third time this season the Kings gave up three or more power-play goals.

"We'll have to take a deep look at who's getting scored on and why they're getting scored on," Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan said after the loss to Vancouver. "We're still getting seamed a lot. Pucks are going from side to side. We can't keep it on one side of the rink. Is that personnel or is that structure? We'll have to look at both."

McLellan said it all starts with avoiding careless penalties.

"When your penalty kill is struggling as mightily as ours, you don't want your players to play careful, but they've got to be aware of taking the unnecessary penalty. The reaching in and the slashing," he said.

Both coaches have taken the extreme step of scratching veteran players in hopes of turning things around.

The Blackhawks scratched defenseman Brent Seabrook the past two games. Before he was scratched against the Kings last weekend, he had been held out by a coaches' decision just one other time in his 15-year Blackhawks career.

"I think I've been playing good," Seabrook told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday before the Blackhawks lost 3-0 to the Predators in Nashville. "I've obviously been on for some goals against. Tough situation, but I feel like I'm skating better. I feel like I've got a lot to offer this team."

McLellan scratched forward Tyler Toffoli against the Canucks.

Toffoli, 27, combined for three points (two goals, one assist) in the first three games this season, but recorded just two points in the next nine games before taking a seat in the press box against Vancouver.

Toffoli scored a team-high 31 goals in the 2015-16 season, and 24 in 2017-18, third best on the team, but then dropped to 13 last season, despite playing 82 games all three of those seasons.

"Tyler was a really good player for a good period this year, and then things kind of fell off for him," McLellan said. "He's got so much to give this team, and to give himself, that maybe an opportunity to get a little angry, whether he's angry at the coach, or whoever, and then come and give us what he has. That's what we're looking forward to next game."

--Field Level Media