Alexander Frolov of Los Angeles beats a helpless Cristobal Huet during Saturday's game. (Danny Moloshok/Associated Press)The Los Angeles Kings scored four unanswered goals Saturday afternoon to roll to a 5-2 home win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
The score was 2-2 in the third period before Derek Armstrong, Kyle Calder and Patrick O'Sullivan scored for Los Angeles. The Kings have won consecutive games and are 3-1-1 in their last five.
Armstong's winner was his first of the season, as the veteran has often been a healthy scratch.
"It's definitely tough, but that's my role here now and that's what I've got to accept," said Armstrong. "We've got a great team here, so it doesn't matter what your role is — especially when you get older. It's all about winning games.
"As you get older, you appreciate winning hockey more than anything."
O'Sullivan, Jarret Stoll and Alexander Frolov each had a goal and an assist for the winners. Kyle Quincey and Michael Handzus both had two assists.
Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp each scored and assisted on the other's goal for Chicago.
The Blackhawks ended a disappointing California trip. Leading San Jose in the third period Wednesday, they settled for a point when the Sharks came back for an overtime victory.
And the Blackhawks were blanked 1-0 by Anaheim on Friday.
Stoll breaks ice
The Kings went ahead just over a minute into the game when Stoll's wrister from the right faceoff circle found the mark.
Midway through the period, Chicago defenceman Brent Seabrook fed Sharp with a cross-ice pass for his team-leading 13th goal of the NHL season.
Chicago took the lead late in the frame on the power play, working the puck around expertly before Kane beat Kings goalie Erik Ersberg.
Los Angeles scored two of their next three goals in large part due to effective screens.
Handzus got in Huet's way at the tail-end of a Kings power play, with Tom Preissing's shot going off the goalie's pad and right to Frolov, who put it away at 18:58 of the second period.
In the third frame, O'Sullivan outworked the Chicago defence on the boards to set up what proved to be the winning goal, feeding Armstrong in the slot for the forward's first goal of the season.
O'Sullivan streaks on
Calder screened Huet and then picked up a rebound of Quincey's shot to make it 4-2 with just over six minutes remaining. O'Sullivan added an empty-netter and has now scored in four of the last five games.
Quincey now has two goals and 11 assists in 19 games with Los Angeles since being plucked off waivers from Detroit, where he couldn't fully crack the deep defence corps.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews was at a loss to explain his team's collapse.
"I don't know what it is. We've just got to find a way to motivate ourselves a little bit better," said Toews. "We had them right where we wanted them, and halfway through the game we let it slip away."
Ersberg made 22 saves to improve his record to 6-4.
Los Angeles at least temporarily moved ahead of Phoenix into third place in the Pacific Division. The Coyotes play later Saturday against San Jose.
Huet finished with 23 saves for Chicago (10-6-6). The goalie has made three consecutive starts with Nikolai Khabibulin out with an undisclosed injury.
The Blackhawks will get a short break, returning to action for a home game against Anaheim on Wednesday.
With files from the Associated Press
