Late goals lifts Kings over Blackhawks 4-3

It's go time in the NHL.

The all-star break is over, and the start of the playoffs in mid-April is slowly coming into view.

"Every game is going to be very meaningful," coach Joel Quenneville said on his pregame radio show Wednesday night before the Blackhawks played the Kings at Staples Center.

"Everybody's going to be fighting like cats and dogs to get those 2 points. A lot of things have to be sorted out between now and the end of the season."

The Hawks appeared to break from the gates quickly after the six-day break, taking a 3-2 lead on Andrew Shaw's goal early in the third period.

But Tyler Toffoli tied the game at the 6:11 mark, and Jake Muzzin scored with 3:37 to play to lift Los Angeles to a 4-3 victory.

The Kings figure to be fighting harder than most NHL teams after a disastrous first half.

The Kings won the Stanley Cup last season for the second time in three years, but they entered Wednesday's game against the Hawks in fifth place in the Pacific Division and out of the playoffs.

"We're playing a team here right now that's out of a playoff spot, so you know their emotion and intensity is going to be in the right place," Quenneville said. "We shouldn't be content and satisfied with where we are in our positioning.

"We expect some challenges from above and below, so let's make sure we try to push and push and enhance where we're at. Let's anticipate every game being a hard game."

The Blackhawks took the lead early in the first period when David Runblad's shot deflected off Muzzin. Patrick Kane pounced on the puck and blasted a shot past Jonathan Quick for his 23rd goal of the season.

After Jeff Carter scored his first of 2 goals for Los Angeles, the Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead on Patrick Sharp's power-play goal, his 10th of the year.

Kane made a slick pass to Sharp, who scored from the left circle.

"It's been peaks and valleys with the power play," Sharp said between the first and second periods on Comcast SportsNet. "The units have stayed the same for the most part, so there is a lot of familiarity out there."

Before the game, Quenneville told reporters winger Kris Versteeg skated in Chicago on Wednesday. Versteeg injured his left hand against the Capitals on Jan. 1, and he could be back in early February.