By Jonathan Raber
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Following an extended layoff because of
the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Kings could not wait to get
back on the ice.
Jonathan Quick turned aside 31 shots and captain Dustin Brown
recorded two goals and an assist as the Kings skated to 5-2
victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
Alexander Frolov notched a goal and an assist, Patrick
O'Sullivan netted a shorthander and Jarret Stoll also tallied
for Los Angeles, which won its third consecutive game.
"We were anxious to get out there and get it going," said Stoll,
whose team last played on January 21. "It's a long break.
Eight days off feels like two weeks for sure, so it's good to
get going."
Defenseman Kyle Quincey set up a pair of goals for the Kings.
"It wasn't pretty all of the time, but the bottom line is, we
got two points against a really good team," Los Angeles coach
Terry Murray said. "And after eight days off, that was a tough
assignment."
Dave Bolland and Patrick Sharp scored, All-Star defenseman Brian
Campbell registered two assists and Cristobal Huet made 21 saves
for Chicago, which fell to 1-3-0 in its last four.
"I think we've got to respect everybody in this league,"
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "There are no easy
games."
Brown, the team's lone All-Star, and Stoll scored 1:45 apart
late in the opening period for an early advantage, and the Kings
did not look back.
"We came out hard, and I think that obviously jump-started the
whole game for (us)," Brown said.
Quick stopped 10 shots in the first period and 15 in the second
but lost his bid for a shutout at 7:31 of the third, when
Bolland scored on a slap shot from just outside the right
faceoff circle.
The rookie goaltender improved to 7-5-0 on the season.
"(Quick) was really good, he saved our bacon out there a couple
of times tonight," Murray said. "He's been that way through
most every game that he's played."
Sharp added his team-leading 22nd goal midway through the period
for the Blackhawks, who fell to 0-6-3 in their last nine
meetings with the Kings at Staples Center. Chicago was coming
off a 3-2 victory at Anaheim on Wednesday that kicked off a
season-high eight-game road trip.
"I think L.A. is a lot better than what people give them credit
for," Campbell said. "They are a good hockey team and played us
pretty good last time. We've got to find a way to get better."
The Kings got the scoring started just as a 5-on-3 power play
was expiring. Chicago's Ben Eager exited the penalty box and
joined the play just as Anze Kopitar fed Brown, who converted
with 5:13 remaining in the first for his 18th tally of the
season.
Stoll followed with a goal of his own less than two minutes
later, taking a pass from behind the net by Brown and beating
Huet for the 2-0 advantage.
Quick picked up his first career point, getting credit for an
assist on a pass to O'Sullivan, who skated the length of the ice
to score a shorthanded goal 5:26 into the second that gave the
Kings a 3-0 bulge.