Connor Bedard scores for 3rd straight game, Blackhawks hold off Kings 2-1

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Connor Bedard scored for the third straight games, Spencer Knight made 26 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Thursday night to open a two-game set.

The teams will meet again Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Wyatt Kaiser had his first goal of the season to help Chicago win for the second time in three games after losing five in a row. Frank Nazar had two assists.

Trevor Moore scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves for Los Angeles. The Kings were held to two goals or fewer for the seventh time in nine games.

The Blackhawks scored twice in the second period. Bedard got his fifth power-play goal to open the scoring, attacking the crease and putting in Nazar’s centering pass. Bedard has four goals and two assists in the last three games.

Kaiser made it 2-0 with 5.1 seconds left after the Kings nearly scored when the puck got tangled up at Knight’s feet and Phillip Danault couldn’t convert a wraparound into the open net.

The Kings welcomed top defenseman Drew Doughty back after he missed seven games because of a foot injury. Doughty was injured blocking a shot against Ottawa on Nov. 15.

Kings forward Warren Foegele also returned from a three-game absence due to an upper-body injury. He found Moore for a one-timer midway through the third, but it wasn’t enough to help Los Angeles avoid its sixth loss in eight games.

Los Angeles was 0 for 5 on the power play, which included Bedard's hooking penalty with 1:26 to go. The Kings failed to capitalize on a 6-on-4 advantage after pulling Kuemper for an extra attacker. ___

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