Fiala, Kings defeat Blackhawks to extend point streak to 5 games

CHICAGO -- Kevin Fiala scored the go-ahead goal, andAnton Forsberg made 22 saves for the Los Angeles Kings, who extended their point streak to five games with a 3-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday.

Alex Laferriere and Joel Armia also scored for the Kings (4-3-3), who were coming off a 5-4 shootout loss at the Nashville Predators on Saturday but are 3-0-2 during their point streak.

It was Los Angeles' first regulation win this season.

“It’s about time,” Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “I thought every game was just going to go to overtime. It definitely feels nice, especially on the road.”

Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller talked before the game about relishing back-to-back games and agreed this was a character win.

“I sure thought so,” he said. “The first period we didn’t play any good at all. They [Blackhawks] played really well. We had to reevaluate if the back-to-backs were worth it for us, and I think we answered that in the final 40 minutes.”

Connor Bedard scored, and Arvid Soderblom made 19 saves for the Blackhawks (4-3-2), who had won two in a row and had their five-game point streak end (4-0-1).

“We’ve had our moments [when] we’ve been able to claw back from them before, but this is another learning moment for us, right?” said Chicago forward Jason Dickinson, who returned to the lineup after missing two games because of a shoulder injury. “A team like this that knows how to win and knows how to play like that, we can’t let ourselves to do that. It’s easier said than done sometimes. It really is simple plays.”

Bedard gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 7:04 of the first period. Ilya Mikheyev sent a puck toward the net from the right face-off circle that was tipped out of midair by Bedard into the left post. The puck then dropped in the crease and Forsberg pushed it over the goal line with his right skate.

“We started off the game pretty well,” Bedard said. “Our power play was terrible tonight, so that didn't help. I don't know how many power plays we had, five or six (the Blackhawks were 0-for-5 on the power play)? I heard [Dickinson] say that kind of takes the momentum out a little bit, and they used that. And then in the second we were trying to do too much sometimes maybe. They [Kings] fed off that, and we couldn't obviously get it back in the third.”

Laferriere tied the game 1-1 at 3:30 of the second period. He carried the puck into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 and snapped a wrist shot past Soderblom’s stick from the left circle.

Fiala put the Kings ahead 2-1 at 4:54. He got behind Blackhawks defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Connor Murphy on a partial breakaway and put the puck in on a wraparound off Soderblom's left skate.

“'Laf' scores a big goal and really had his best game of the season if you look at the total body of work, the penalty kill, everything involved,” Hiller said. “And then Kevin scores a world-class goal on his own. There’s not many guys who can do that. It’s a great goal and individual effort.”

Armia scored a short-handed empty-net goal at 18:52 for the 3-1 final.

“It felt good, but it was good to get that regulation win,” Kings forward Phillip Danault said. “We did it the right way. We worked hard in the second and third, played our game and it worked out.”

Los Angeles forward Warren Foegele left the game at 4:23 of the first period and did not return after taking a hit along the boards by Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno.

“He’ll get looked at a little closer tomorrow,” Hiller said. We’ll probably have an update tomorrow.”

The Blackhawks lost Mikheyev to an apparent upper-body injury 20 seconds into the third period after he was tripped by Kings forward Adrian Kempe and fell into the boards.

“We’ll know more tomorrow morning,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “I don’t think it’s anything long term. Whether he’s ready for Tuesday (against the Ottawa Senators) or not, I’ll have more knowledge on that tomorrow. As we sit here today, I don’t think it’s anything long term. Obviously couldn’t finish the game, so I guess [it’s] day to day.”

NOTES: Corey Perry had an assist to extend his point streak to three games (two goals, one assist). At 40 years and 163 days, he became the oldest player in Kings history to record a point in three consecutive games, passing Harry Howell (40 years, 63 days). … Blackhawks forward Tyler Bertuzzi missed the game with an undisclosed injury. He is listed as day to day. … Chicago forward Ryan Donato had his four-game goal streak end. He had five goals in that span. ... Kempe had an assist and has eight points (three goals, five assists) in a five-game point streak.