Drew Doughty has yet to record a point in the series but continues to log an extraordinary amount of ice time, playing over 29 minutes in each of the first two games before seeing 35:01 of action Monday.ABOUT THE SHARKS: Joe Pavelski was kept off the scoresheet in Game 3 for the first time in the series and held to just one shot on goal. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick was his usual brilliant self in Game 3; so usual that Kings Coach Darryl Sutter described it as “normal”. He took a charging penalty in Game 2, a penalty that came back to bite the Kings, as Logan Couture scored a power-play goal with Lucic in the penalty box.
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Anze Kopitar tied it midway through the first period to give the Kings a power-play goal in five straight games against the Sharks after ending the regular season by going 3 for 38 in their last 16 overall.
As the second seed, the Kings had the home advantage but the Sharks quickly dispelled that fact by being a little better on the night of the first two games.
The Kings crushed the Sharks on hit totals, with 61 hits to San Jose’s 39. With the Sharks on a power play, and the net open off a rebound, Schenn dove and the puck went off his shin and out of play.The Los Angeles Kings might be looking at a must-win game at home on Saturday night. We said from the start it would be a tough, long series. “Every single shot, every single goal counts this time of year”.
In this series, we have transcribed victories by the Sharks in Game 1 and Game 2 and then an overtime loss in Game 3.
This is the Ducks’ first road playoff shutout since 2014 when they played the LA Kings in the second round. “He’s awesome. He’s our best player”. They’ve also gotten some important goals, like Thomas Hickey’s stunner in overtime on Sunday. “Just got to keep up that physical play, and you hope that it keeps giving you some kind of success”. Coming into Monday, the Sharks had a 47-41 home record in playoff games. “I don’t think we got enough of it (in Game 3)”. Or take a gander at Game 5 against LA in 2013 (Kings 3, Sharks 0).
The series has thus far reflected the Sharks tendencies of poor home and stellar road play, but DeBoer doesn’t discriminate when it comes to win locations.
One would think that this game was all about offense because they scored three goals yet it was all because of the teams focus on defense on why they won this game.
Through the first two games, the Sharks have allowed one even-strength goal and have trailed for just 4:02.
“We had the puck going, we had them moving, we had some looks”, Pavelski said, adding that on his slap shot, “(Thornton) makes a good seam play to me. Even the Edmonton Oilers, the worst team in the Western Conference, had one more home win than the Sharks.
“I don’t want to panic; we could be sitting here 3-0 right now against the team that’s won two of the last four Stanley Cups”, DeBoer said Wednesday morning.
“We got to stop playing with frustration and start playing with determination”. Milan Lucic has yet to score in the series, and Jeff Carter has lacked can’t-miss scoring chances since his second-period goal in Game 1.
Brenden Dillon, who was trying to lay a body on Brown just before Pearson took control of the puck, indicated there are plenty of subtle shots, too, being exchanged by players on both sides that aren’t necessarily spotted by the referees or cameras.
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The Kings blocked a bunch on the Sharks’ power-play, closing up lanes. “We have to make sure that we come in here, again, we talk about the first period; that’s about it for me”. The Kings have been hounded by key chances missing the frame during this series, but at least on the power play, the Sharks have done a strong job of forcing even perfectly constructed power plays into weak scoring chances. Not saying that because I m coaching the team that s 0-2 against a team that s 2-0.
