The Kings arrive in Chicago with three wins in four games and a fresh six-goal performance, but Tuesday brings a useful test of that rebound: can they keep producing on the second night of a back-to-back? The Blackhawks have scored just three goals across three straight losses, giving Los Angeles an opening. Still, the Kings’ own scoring has been uneven enough that their recent surge deserves a closer look before backing them as a road favorite.
A rebound worth respecting, not overreading
Los Angeles beat the Rangers 6-3 on Monday, its third road win in four games. The Kings have scored at least three goals in each of those victories, a meaningful improvement after their winless start.
Zoom out to the last 10 games, though, and Los Angeles has still won only three times and finished with just one goal in five games. That’s the tension behind the current DraftKings moneyline, which makes the Kings -122 favorites. Los Angeles has recently shown a higher scoring ceiling, but its broader results leave room for doubt—especially with travel to Chicago and another game immediately following Monday’s win.
Chicago’s record also offers a reminder that identifying a struggling team and finding an attractive price are different things. Our historical data shows that flat one-unit moneyline bets against the Blackhawks have won eight of 11 times this season, yet returned only 0.80 units of profit. Frequent losses haven’t automatically made Chicago’s opponents especially rewarding bets.
Chicago needs more than another opportunity
The Blackhawks lost 3-2 to Florida on Sunday. In that game, they went scoreless on seven power plays, including two brief two-man advantages. That’s a concrete example of why opportunity alone hasn’t been enough to lift their scoring.
Our shooting projections give Los Angeles the volume advantage, at roughly 29 shots to Chicago’s 24. That points to more work for Chicago’s goaltending, although shot totals alone don’t tell us which team will create better chances. We also project about three power-play opportunities for each team, so Sunday’s seven-chance game isn’t the baseline for Chicago here. The Blackhawks’ path looks more demanding if they need to generate more offense from fewer shots and fewer man-advantage chances.
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Why the 5.5-goal total isn’t a simple form play
Chicago’s recent scoring drought and the projected shot volume give the 5.5-goal total a restrained backdrop. Los Angeles’ six-goal night pushes the other way, although its five one-goal performances over the last 10 make it difficult to treat that outburst as a new scoring standard.
The recent goalie samples also complicate a low-scoring outlook. Spencer Knight has an .895 save percentage across his last five appearances for Chicago this season. Anton Forsberg is at .894 across four appearances for Los Angeles, including one relief outing. Neither short stretch makes a convincing case for goaltending to keep scoring down, even with relatively modest shooting projections.
Los Angeles’ revival has substance: three road wins in four games, backed by the higher shooting projection here. The quick turnaround and five one-goal games in its last 10 are the strongest reasons not to treat that rebound as settled. Chicago’s ability to get more from its offensive opportunities is the key pressure point, particularly with fewer power plays projected than it had Sunday. At 5.5, that limited shooting outlook has to be weighed against two recent goalie samples below .900—not just the Kings’ latest outburst.
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