Flailing Blackhawks aim to rebound vs. Kings

The Chicago Blackhawks are spiraling with four straight losses by a combined margin of 15-5.

Yet team captain Jonathan Toews is trying to stay focused on the positives. He's really, really trying.

"It's the only choice you really have," Toews told reporters after the Blackhawks lost 4-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. "What else can you do? Things are just kind of snowballing in the wrong direction for us, and it's really easy to get frustrated and you start searching for ways to try and end the slide. But we've just got to stay with it."

Chicago will try to break out of its funk when it hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday evening.

Like the Blackhawks, the Kings have endured a less-than-perfect start to the season. They are coming off a 5-1 loss against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, which marked their second straight defeat. They have lost five of their last seven games.

Kings coach Todd McLellan sees reason for optimism but wants more production from his special teams and elsewhere.

"We've got some paint on the canvas, but it doesn't look like anything yet," McLellan told reporters.

Leaky defense has plagued Los Angeles throughout the season. Veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick is 2-5-0 and has posted a paltry .849 save percentage. Jack Campbell has not fared all that much better, with a 2-2-0 record to go along with an .897 save percentage.

Quick is 13-16-1 with a 2.65 goals-against average in 30 career games against the Blackhawks. Campbell has faced Chicago once and is 1-0-0 with a 1.85 GAA.

Whereas Los Angeles has coughed up 10 goals in the last two contests, Chicago has given up eight. Corey Crawford surrendered four goals on Saturday against the Hurricanes, and Robin Lehner gave up four goals two nights earlier in a 4-1 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Crawford is 1-4-0 in five starts this season, and Lehner is 1-1-2 in four starts. Crawford carries a pedestrian .888 save percentage into Sunday night's game, while Lehner has a .922 save percentage.

The 34-year-old Crawford is more familiar with the Kings over the course of his career. He is 9-6-3 with a 2.74 GAA in 18 games. By comparison, Lehner is 3-5-0 with a 2.84 GAA in eight games.

Patrick Kane, who leads the Blackhawks with eight points (three goals, five assists) in eight games, is ready to see his team bounce back when it returns to home ice.

"A lot of hard work, a lot of 50-50 battles we're trying to win, and it doesn't seem like anything's coming from it," Kane told reporters. "Hopefully, sooner or later, those things are going to break."

Meanwhile, Kings forward Austin Wagner will look to capitalize on increased responsibility in the offensive zone. Wagner told reporters he is trying to evolve at the NHL level and not rely solely on breakaways or fancy plays.

"There are a lot of guys that make a living off of just standing in front of the net and touching pucks or getting rebounds," he said.

--Field Level Media