A few years ago the Los Angeles Kings were celebrating their second Stanley Cup title in three seasons and looking like a budding dynasty.The once-formidable franchise is occupying the basement of the NHL these days and thinking more about positioning for the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft than winning another title. At least that was the narrative a few weeks ago.The Kings have shown life lately http://www.officialwild.com/authentic-adidas-devan-dubnyk-jersey , winning four straight — three against teams in playoff position — before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. Los Angeles will try to keep its momentum going when it plays at the struggling Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.Article continues below ...The Kings (15-21-3) are still eight points out of the second wild card in the West with half the season left. How thing unfold over the next couple of weeks could determine if the franchise becomes a seller before the trade deadline. The players are just focusing on what is happening on the ice.“I think we’re trying to just take it one game at a time, quite honestly,” Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday. “We have a lot of new guys with not a lot of experience of what it takes to win at this level.”The Kings are surging as the Avalanche are stumbling. Colorado has lost four in a row, including an overtime setback to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night. Scoring has become an issue after the Avalanche were one of the top offensive teams through the first two months of the season.In five of the last six games, Colorado has scored two goals or fewer and the one contest it had four goals was a loss at Arizona.The struggles led to coach Jared Bednar shaking up his top two lines to create a spark. Despite the trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog combining for 160 points before Saturday’s game Bednar moved Landeskog to the second line and put Matt Nieto with MacKinnon and Rantanen.By the second period, Landeskog was back on the top line. He played well but his double minor late in the third period led to a Chicago power-play goal in overtime.“Landy is a heck of a player,” Colorado forward Alexander Kerfoot told HockeyBuzz.com about the team’s captain. “Whatever line’s he’s playing on, he’ll help them produce and help them be consistent. We’re lucky to play with him tonight. He’s very consistent in what he brings every night. You know what you’re getting out of him.”Colorado (19-13-7) has three games left on this homestand and needs to turn things around. Despite going 3-7-2 in the last 12 games the Avalanche are still in third place in the Central Division.They will try to shore up some of their defensive issues, which may help get the offense going.“We want to be dangerous offensively, but we’ve got to be better on the defensive side Eric Staal Jersey , both on the rush and in our zone,” Bednar said Saturday night. CHICAGO (AP) — Cal Petersen returned to Chicago for a memorable first NHL start.Petersen made 34 saves and stopped Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in a shootout, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Friday night.“Best feeling in the world,” the 24-year-old Petersen said. “Obviously, the boys really battled hard for me.“Just for it to end like that is really special. Probably the most fun hockey game of my life.”Ilya Kovalchuk and Anze Kopitar converted the Kings’ first two attempts in the tiebreaker against Corey Crawford as Los Angeles ended a three-game losing streak.Tyler Toffoli scored his fifth goal in the second period for the Kings, who have the worst record in the league (6-11-1) and had been outscored 9-2 during their three-game skid.Petersen, a native of Waterloo, Iowa, attended his first NHL games at the United Center, and played with the Chicago Young Americans of the Midwest Elite Hockey League when he was 16 and 17.He was on the United Center Ice with Notre Dame in the Frozen Four in 2017, although the Irish lost to eventual NCAA champion Denver 6-1 in the semifinal.Brandon Saad was the only Blackhawks player to beat Petersen in this one though Womens Jared Spurgeon Jersey , scoring his fifth goal early in the third period to tie the score at 1-1.“I’ve been to quite a few games here,” Petersen said. “To be on the other side of it was kind of awe-inspiring at first. Once I got a few shots and settled in, it kind of felt like just another hockey game, trying to get a win”Petersen made his NHL debut on Tuesday against Toronto, stopping 15 of 16 shots in relief of Peter Budaj after being recalled from the Kings’ AHL affiliate in Ontario, California, on Monday. With his parents in the stands, Petersen was tested in spurts by Chicago, but was sharp when needed and came up with several close-in saves, outdueling Crawford.The Kings are without their two top goalies, Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell. Both are recovering from surgery to repair meniscus tears in one of their kneesCrawford blocked 31 shots through overtime Jason Zucker Jersey , but the struggling Blackhawks lost for the ninth time in their last 10 games (1-6-3).Although the Blackhawks came on late, they didn’t test Petersen hard enough throughout the game, Kane said.“All goalies are pretty much the same,” Kane said. “They’re big. If they see the puck, they’re probably going to stop it.“(We needed to get) those side-to-side passes, especially against a guy who hasn’t really played in the NHL before, getting him uncomfortable and getting some traffic in front.”Carl Hagelin played his first games with the Kings. The 30-year-old forward was acquired in a deal that sent Tanner Pearson to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.The Kings picked up the tempo near the end of scoreless first period and got a few good chances. Crawford stopped Toffoli point-blank with 5:30 left in the period, then denied Nate Thompson, who skated in with 1:20 to go.Toffoli finally opened the scoring at 10:29 of the second following a Chicago turnover.Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson fell and lost the puck at the Los Angeles blue line. Toffoli picked it up, powered into the Chicago zone and beat Crawford between the legs when his shot from the slot deflected off defenseman Duncan Keith.Buoyed by three power plays in the second, Blackhawks started to test Petersen late in the period. He preserved the 1-0 lead with a quick save on Nick Schmaltz’s one-timer from the slot during a Chicago power play with four minutes left in the second.“I thought we got some energy off the power plays Joel Eriksson Ek Jersey ,” said Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton, who is 1-2-2 since taking over for Joel Qunneville on Nov. 6. “We had some chances but it didn’t go in.”Saad crashed into the crease and tied it 1-all at 2:39 of the third on Chicago’s 21st shot, redirecting Jonathan Toews’ feed from the side of the net past Petersen high on the glove side.Crawford made a toe save on a shot by Jeff Carter from the right circle with 1:21 left in regulation to keep it tied.Petersen stopped Gustav Forsling’s tip-in attempt 2:21 into overtime. Anze Kopitar’s shot hit the post about a minute later.NOTES: Petersen was drafted by the Kings in the fifth round, 129th overall in 2013. He once started 90 consecutive games for Notre Dame. … Blackhawks C Marcus Kruger returned after missing three games with left leg injury. Chicago C Brandon Davidson was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 13, with a right leg injury. … Budaj was the Kings’ backup goalie, but his availability was a game-time decision because of an illness. … Quick has been out since Oct. 28, with a projected recovery period of four to six weeks. … Campbell was injured last Saturday in a 1-0 loss to Calgary and his recovery also is expected to take four to six weeks.UP NEXTKings: At Nashville on Saturday night.Blackhawks: Host Minnesota on Sunday.