Blackhawks suffer rare blowout loss in rematch against Kings

LOS ANGELES — The second half of the Blackhawks' L.A. residency didn't go nearly as well as the first half.

The Kings routed the Hawks 6-0 on Saturday, extracting revenge for the Hawks' 2-1 win in the same matchup in the same building Thursday.

Second periods have generally been less problematic lately for the Hawks, but their performance in this middle frame was as bad as any all season. They were sloppy, sluggish and out-smarted, and they paid the price for it.

The Kings took a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the second period and extended it to 3-0 with two more goals late in the period. Things didn't get any better after the intermission, and Spencer Knight's season save percentage had been knocked down from .919 to .914 by the final horn.

"We outplayed them in the first period and a bit, and then it went completely opposite," defenseman Connor Murphy said. "[It's] unfortunate that we let it get to that point. When momentum goes the other way, you want to try to turn it quicker so it doesn’t end up being a game like that."

It was the Hawks' third blowout loss, joining two other disastrous games — the 6-3 loss Oct. 30 in Winnipeg and the 9-3 loss Nov. in Buffalo — that they decided to immediately write off and flush away. It also marked their second time getting shut out.

Coach Jeff Blashill argued that this game and the disaster against the Sabres were "two different animals," though, based on the fact the Hawks "played really good in the first" period Saturday.

The Hawks, who missed forward Teuvo Teravainen on Saturday due to a facial injury, will attempt to right the ship quickly Sunday, since their California residency isn't quite over yet. They won't have to travel far to renew their budding rivalry against the Ducks.

Moore holding up

Rookie forward Oliver Moore has tallied a respectable eight points in 16 games so far this season, including three in his last four before Saturday. He has cemented a permanent NHL role moving forward, and his body has held up against the grind of the league, too.

"I made an emphasis over the summer to try to prepare myself for a pro schedule, and I think it's been going pretty well so far," Moore said.

He still commits his share of rookie mistakes, though, such as a mishandled puck with Bertuzzi along the boards Saturday that led to the Kings' first goal.