Kings 5, Blackhawks 2: Defenseman Jake Muzzin and captain Dustin Brown scored on the power play to highlight a three-goal first period as host Los Angeles won Game 4 of the Western Conference final to send defending Stanley Cup-champion Chicago to the brink of elimination.

Muzzin joined fellow blue-liner Drew Doughty with a tally and an assist and Marian Gaborik scored his postseason-leading 10th goal as the Kings skated to their third consecutive victory. Rookie Tanner Pearson added an empty-net tally and Jonathan Quick made 22 saves for Los Angeles, which looks to punch a ticket to the Stanley Cup final for the second time in three years with a win in Chicago on Wednesday.

After going 3-for-7 with the man advantage in the previous two games, the Kings picked up where they left off in the first period. Muzzin accepted Doughty's centering feed before skating in and beating a screened Corey Crawford (16 saves) exactly nine minutes into the contest for a power-play goal and a 1-0 lead.

Los Angeles kept up the intensity as Anze Kopitar stripped Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith of the puck before his bid from along the right-wing wall was deflected between the pads of Crawford by Gaborik at 11:13 of the session. The Kings claimed a 3-0 lead with 4:04 left in the period as Muzzin's shot from the point caromed off Justin Williams to Brown, who tapped it home for a power-play goal.

Doughty continued the onslaught by wristing a shot from the point past a screened Crawford at 12:43 of the middle period before Brandon Saad's backhand shot from deep in the right faceoff circle 80 seconds later put the Blackhawks on the scoreboard. Bryan Bickell cleaned up a loose puck on the doorstep midway through the third to halve the deficit, but Pearson sealed the win with an empty-net tally.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Williams and Kopitar finished with two assists apiece. ... Muzzin's goal was his fifth of the playoffs, matching his total in 76 contests during the regular season. His five postseason tallies are one shy of the franchise mark for a defenseman, set by Slava Voynov last year. ... Gaborik's 10 goals in the playoffs are third-most in franchise history, trailing Hall-of-Famers Wayne Gretzky (15, 1993) and Luc Robitaille (12, 1991). ... Chicago fell to 2-6 on the road in the playoffs. ... Actor Will Ferrell was in attendance at Staples Center.