Kris Versteeg and Milan Lucic scored 18 seconds apart in the first period as the Los Angeles Kings beat the slumping Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night.
Vincent Lecavalier, Dustin Brown and Tyler Toffoli also scored as Los Angeles improved to 8-2-1 in their past 11 games. Jonathan Quick made 32 saves in his 41st career shutout, helping the Pacific Division leaders kill off each of Chicago’s six power-play opportunities.
The Blackhawks (41-23-6) lost for the fourth time in five games, including three in a row against St Louis, Dallas and Los Angeles — three potential playoff opponents. The defending Stanley Cup champions are just 9-10-2 since their franchise-record 12-game win streak.
Photo: David Banks-USA TODAY
The slide has dropped Chicago into third in the tough Central Division with just 12 games left on their schedule.
ISLANDERS 3, PANTHERS 2
In New York, Cal Clutterbuck scored the tiebreaking goal with 1 minute, 39 seconds remaining to cap New York’s three-goal third period, lifting the Islanders past Florida.
Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey scored earlier in the third as the Islanders scored all their goals in a five-and-a-half-minute stretch after trailing 2-0 heading to the final period. Thomas Greiss finished with 23 saves as the Islanders snapped a two-game skid and pulled one point behind the crosstown-rival Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist, Nick Bjugstad also scored and Jonathan Huberdeau had two assists for the Panthers. Roberto Luongo stopped 25 shots.
PREDATORS 3, OILERS 2
In Edmonton, Alberta, James Neal had his sixth career hat-trick, leading Nashville to a win over the Oilers.
The Predators have earned at least a point in 15 of their past 16 games. They swept the three-game season series from Edmonton.
Jordan Eberle and Iiro Pakarinen scored for the Oilers.
FLAMES 7, BLUES 4
In Calgary, Alberta, Michael Frolik scored three times, included two short-handed goals, as Calgary beat St Louis.
Sean Monahan had two goals and Joe Colborne and Mark Giordano also scored for Calgary. Dougie Hamilton and Johnny Gaudreau each had three assists.
Paul Stastny scored twice and Scottie Upshall and Kevin Shattenkirk each had a goal for St Louis, who had won six straight.
Shattenkirk had a power-play goal at 3:28 of the third and Stastny added his second of the game 10 mminutes later to pull the Blues to 5-4. Frolik’s second score gave the Flames some breathing room with 3:11 remaining and he added an empty-netter with 35 seconds to go for his 14th of the season.
JETS 5, CANUCKS 2
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Marko Dano had two goals and an assist as Winnipeg beat Vancouver.
Tyler Myers and Alexander Burmistrov each added a goal and an assist for the Jets, and Mark Scheifele also scored to extend his points streak to eight games. Michael Hutchinson finished with 26 saves.
Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen scored for Vancouver, while Jacob Markstrom stopped 24 shots. The Canucks had won two straight for the eighth time this season, but failed to get their first three-game winning streak.
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