Joe Thornton left the game with 1:55 left in the first period after absorbing a hit from Jake Muzzin and landing awkwardly on the ice.
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Toffoli’s goal was set up by an alert play by defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, who found him alone in the circle with a quick pass. Ehrhoff, who signed with the Kings as an unrestricted free agent in August, has two assists in the last two games.
Carolina (2-4-0) also opened 0-3 while receiving shaky goaltending from Ward and Eddie Lack, but has since won two of three to begin a season-long seven-game road stretch. “We didn’t start off very hot, and now we’re building”. So far, L.A. has been able to score six goals, but they’ve given up 14 along the way. Taylor Hall (five points) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (four) – also first overall selections – are major threats, but Edmonton must improve its goals-against if it hopes to be in the playoff hunt this season.
Part of the improvement is volume.
The Sharks’ recent problems on special teams were all too evident in their 4-1 loss the Los Angeles Kings at SAP Center on Thursday night. Both scored on a power-play unit that was 1 for 21 over the first five games.
Shooting the puck, even when it doesn’t directly lead to a goal, often works.
Quick was back in dominant form after a poor start to the season that mirrored the Kings’ woes. The Kings were the sharper team capitalizing on two of their four power play chances, while the Sharks were 0-for-5. In the last minute of the first, Milan Lucic scored his first goal as a King with a deflection on the power play, leaving San Jose in a 2-0 hole at the end of the first.
How many players does it take to solve an identity crisis? “It just builds momentum for you”. When you kill the penalty, there’s more life on the bench. “We’ve got to find a way with the guys we roll out there tomorrow night to get a win”.
His fast start comes as no surprise to Kings coach Darryl Sutter. Last season, the Kings were 11th, at 51.3, but early this season, they’re trending in the wrong direction.
Against Carolina, the Kings were 25 for 66 in the circle (38 percent).
The 23-year-old Scarborough native scored the opening goal in the Kings 2-1 overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild. Maybe the last two games are a signal of what’s to come; on the other hand, it may take a while for the offense to fully click.
“Definitely just feeling a little off”, Smith said. Right now, it’s not a big deal.
What might be more impressive about the goal is the fact that all three Sharks playing defense were just as dazzled by Toffoli’s moves as Jones was.
The day in San Jose was eventful for the Kings.
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“It’s the season, ” Quick said. It’s tough to determine whether to ride Lucic out for a few games on a specific line or whether to keep mixing him in until he fits somewhere. Read on to see where fans can watch and listen to a live stream of the Thursday evening hockey game online and catch up-to-date feeds and coverage on highlight plays and scores. Sutter didn’t forget, though.
