In a game with an unusual 8pm puck drop at San Jose’s SAP Center, the Kings wrapped up their five-game road trip in style on Tuesday night by running their points steak to six games. With a win over the Sharks, they completed their time away from home by earning nine of a possible 10 points.
By any measure of success, that’s a solid stretch.
However, this game was anything but routine. For example, the Kings managed to win despite blocking more shots (23) than they recorded (14). If games were judged by shot count, the Sharks would have thrown a victory parade. Instead, the Kings were opportunistic, capitalizing on their rare chances, and goaltender Darcy Kuemper tended the net like he was auditioning for a superhero movie, making save after save to seal the win.
Things began with the youth-filled Sharks showcasing their speed, putting the Kings on their heels early. LA defenseman Joel Edmundson caught a lucky break, dodging a delay of game penalty that could have given the Sharks a first period advantage. Not long after, though, the Kings picked up their first power play, and while the second unit didn’t score during the man advantage, Corey Perry wasted no time once it ended.
The 40-year-old did what he does best battling in front of the net and scored on a gritty play, giving the Kings the lead and extending his impressive point streak to four games. Jeff Mallott was whistled for a penalty in the offensive zone soon thereafter, but the Kings PK unit stood strong, allowing LA to hold their lead heading into the first intermission.
San Jose came out flying again in the second frame, but Kuemper continued to keep LA in the game with a series of clutch saves. The Kings made the most of their chances — Mallott scored short side on a 2-on-1, and Drew Doughty added another goal (his first of the season) with the fourth line on the ice.
Will Smith and Pavel Kurashev answered quickly for San Jose, ramping up the intensity heading into the final period.
Discipline became a turning point, as the Sharks quickly tied things up following a Kings neutral zone penalty, swinging the momentum their way. With under seven minutes left and Kuemper routinely making huge saves, Brandt Clarke seized a rare opportunity, finishing a slick cross-ice pass from Adrian Kempe to put the Kings back on top and seal the win.
Game highlights can be viewed here:
Additional game notes:
— Perry’s point streak continues, highlighting his consistency and leadership.
— LA’s 14 shots were the least since April 5, 2013 when they had 14 shots against the Minnesota Wild
— Kempe extended his point streak to six games and picked up his 14th point on the season.
— Doughty scored his first goal the season, tying Rob Blake for most goals by a defenseman in Kings history.
— LA’s PK went 5-for-5 against a top ten powerplay unit.
Pregame notes and lineups can be found in the article linked below.
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