The Los Angeles Kings jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead and the Chicago Blackhawks couldnt catch them, with the Kings taking a 5-2 decision in Game Four to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Kings D Jake Muzzin scored the first of two power play goals for the Kings. Playing more than 21 minutes per game in the playoffs, Muzzin now has 11 points, placing him third among defencemen in the postseason. Not bad for a guy who didnt hook on with an NHL club until the Kings signed him during his overage junior season in Sault Ste. Marie. Four years later, Muzzin is on the top defence pairing for a team closing in on the Western Conference title. Muzzin is paired with Drew Doughty, who also had a goal and an assist in Game Four (though his goal appeared to be deflected in by Dwight King) and leads defencemen with 14 points in the playoffs. Game Four was so well in hand for the Kings that they could limit Doughtys ice time; 23:55 was Doughtys lowest ice time since Game Two of the playoffs (after which he complained about his lack of ice time). For once, the Blackhawks didnt get burned by the line of Jeff Carter, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli, until Pearson scored into an empty net, though Pearson had a team-high seven shot attempts and tied Carter with a team-leading four shots on goal. The bad news for Chicago is that the Kings other top scorers got on track. Marian Gaborik scored a goal while Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams each picked up a couple of assists; Kopitar extending his playoff scoring lead with 22 points and Gaborik leads all playoff goal-scorers, with 10. In their ultimately fruitless attempt to come back, the Blackhawks chances were created by their power forwards. Marian Hossa, Bryan Bickell and Brandon Sadd had nine, eight and seven shot attempts, respectively, to lead the Blackhawks. Saad and Bickell scored Chicagos goals. Chicagos leaders, C Jonathan Toews and RW Patrick Kane, skated together for most of the game, as the Blackhawks tried to shake up lines and it didnt really work. While both assisted on Bickells third-period goal, Toews didnt register a shot on goal (though, immediately preceding Bickells goal, Doughty basically blocked a Toews shot in the crease to prevent a goal), the second time in the series Toews has been held without a shot on goal. The Blackhawks need their big guns to be firing, but they also need G Corey Crawford to perform better. After allowing four goals on 20 shots in Game Four, Crawford has stopped 69 of 82 shots (.841 SV%) in the last three games. The goals against arent all on Crawford, to be sure but, no matter how you slice it, .841 isnt good enough to win. Blackhawks C Michal Handzus played a game-low 4:28, not seeing the ice beyond six minutes into the second period. This isnt the first time in the playoffs that a team, on the verge of elimination, has looked like they were on the way out, and thats the situation in which the Blackhawks find themselves now. More than 90% of teams with a three-game-to-one lead in an NHL playoff series go on to win, so the Blackhawks have a steep hill to climb. But, they can look across the ice and take heart, knowing that the Kings had to overcome a three-games-to-none deficit in Round One against San Jose to get turned loose on this playoff run. Right now, the Kings look invincible, but hockey is a funny game sometimes and if the Blackhawks are better on home ice in Game Five, maybe they still have a way to dig out of this hole. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic . But when it was all over they had wasted another lead, seen another pitcher flame out on the mound and lost their fourth straight at home. Soccer Jerseys Outlet . -- Ricky Romeros comeback bid hit another road bump Tuesday in an ugly 18-4 Jays loss to a Detroit Tigers split squad. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/. -- Max Domi scored twice and set up two more as the London Knights toppled the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 6-4 on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . The Earthquakes (6-9-7) were coming off a 5-0 loss at home last Saturday to FC Dallas. Even with the draw, the Sounders (13-7-3) climbed back into a tie for both the Western Conference and overall top spot in MLS. Seattle, West co-leader Real Salt Lake and East leader Sporting Kansas City all have 42 points. Cheap Soccer Jerseys . The shortstop still grieves, but it will be nights like the one Segura had in a 5-2 victory Monday over the Cincinnati Reds that will provide some distraction.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers ace Yu Darvish could get back in the Texas rotation without making a rehabilitation start after he is eligible to come off the disabled list. General manager Jon Daniels said before Mondays season opener that Darvish "appears to be healthy and strong" after consecutive days of throwing over the weekend. Darvish was scheduled to start the opener against Philadelphia until neck stiffness during training camp about two weeks ago. "Very, very encouraged," manager Ron Washington said. "The report I got, it was just as good as it was before he got hurt." The Rangers put Darvish on the disabled list Sunday while setting their 25-man roster, but the move was retroactive to March 21. He would be eligible to return Saturday. Daniels said the Rangers havent committed to when Darvish will return to the rotation. But the GM also said Darvish wouldnt necessarily have to pitch in a rehab game before making his season debut. "I think well probably accomplish a lot of that on the side, extended bullpen so to speak," Daniels said. "Were going to sit down and meet before we lay out a plan." Darvish last faced hitters March 16 in a spring training game. He threw a 32-pitch bullpen session Sunday, a day after throwing off flat ground. He will throw again Tuesday. Darvish finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting last season when he led the majors with 277 strikkeouts.dddddddddddd. The Rangers are also without left-handers Matt Harrison (back) and Derek Holland (left knee). Harrison could be return before the end of the April. Colby Lewis, who missed all of last season recovering from elbow surgery and then having hip surgery, is making a minor league start Tuesday after a solid spring. "We are going to get a few of these guys back pretty soon," Daniels said. "Its an opportunity for other guys to step up, and when were healthy and we get Colby and Yu back in a week or whatever it is, and get Matt back two weeks after that, I think youll look up and be like weve got some tough calls to make with other guys who have stepped up, and have stepped up and seized that opportunity. I dont buy into all the doom and gloom stuff," he said. Tanner Scheppers made his first career start for Texas on opening day, and is to be followed by Martin Perez, Robbie Ross and Joe Saunders. None were in the Rangers rotation at the start of last season -- Scheppers and Ross were relievers. The fifth starter is expected to be right-hander Nick Martinez, a right-hander who has never pitched about Double-A and isnt yet on the 25-man roster. The Rangers have said Martinez is the scheduled starter Saturday night at Tampa Bay. "Just because Darvish comes off on the fifth doesnt mean Martinez is going to get kicked out," Washington said. ' ' '