San Jose Sharks Get By L.A. Kings In Game 1 Slugfest

Joe Pavelski's game-winning goal at the 14:44 mark of OT snuck the San Jose Sharks past the Los Angeles Kings last night in front of a rowdy crowd at HP Pavilion.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan had said it all week. The playoffs were going to be a matter of getting to three goals first for the Sharks. And at the end of two periods, McLellan's ideology proved correct, as the game was tied 2-2 heading into the third period and then into overtime, as well.

It was about momentum in Game 1.

In the 1st period, it was all about the Sharks after a slick feed from Ryane Clowe lead to a Dany Heatley goal just 28 seconds into the game sending the Shark Tank into utter chaos.

Chants of "Beat LA" sounded throughout the arena time and time again, especially after the game got rough between the two teams midway through the 1st period.

Clowe was leader of the rough play that set the tone for the game between the two teams. That only escalated after Ian White was driven head first into the boards by Jarret Stoll resulting in an injured White and an exit from the game.

White's injury was immediately payed back when Ben Eager went to blows with Kyle Clifford just minutes later sending the arena into a frenzy yet again.

Heading into the locker room after the 1st period, the two teams continued to churp at each other, again lead by Clowe.

The second period, although toned down, was about the Kings.

A goal by Dustin Brown tied the game 1-1 after Logan Couture's short-handed break-away shot went wide and created a fast-break for the Kings.

But it wouldn't take long for Couture to make-up for his mistake.

He struck back with a goal of his own just three minutes later to put the Sharks ahead once again.

But the much-coveted momentum swayed the Kings' way again when a surprisingly healthy Justin Williams scored after another mistake by the Sharks, this time behind their own net.

Heading into the third period, the Kings had the Sharks off balance and owned the momentum.

In the third period, the Sharks were almost lack-luster showing no steam. The Kings dictated the pace of play and the Sharks were just trying to hold on and head into overtime it seemed.

The Sharks would make it to overtime, and after a stalemate in which both the Kings and Sharks switched momentum throughout, it was ultimately Joe Pavelski with the heroics.

Pavelski, the playoff hero from last season, hit the back of the net after almost 15 minutes of overtime play to give the Sharks the Game 1 win.

It almost seems as though the Sharks squeaked by with this one. They were weary, tired and looked like they had run out of gas for the majority of that third period, and then again in the overtime period.

One thing to take away from the game was that the Sharks made two mistakes all night and they both lead to goals for the Kings, which were the only ones they scored. Limiting mistakes.

Besides that, the Sharks' penalty kill was much-improved with the return of Scott Nichol. He seemed to make the difference on a penalty kill that has been lacking for the Sharks since he has been injured.

But that did not take the spotlight away from the Kings' penalty kill. The Sharks went 0 for 3 on the power play, and one in which they never got a shot off.

The Sharks will have to find a way for their third-ranked power play to get past the Kings' fourth-ranked penalty kill in Game 2.

All in all, it was a game of back-and-forths, but a gritty win that the Sharks will take any night.

They came out on fire, and ended on fire. They will just need to learn to keep that fire throughout the entire game in Game 2.

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2011 NHL Playoffs: San Jose Sharks vs. L.A. Kings Series Preview & Predictions

Imagine you walk into the HP Pavilion on Thursday night. A sea of teal and black cover the arena except for the rectangle of freshly zambonied ice that is the center of attention for the next three hours.

The lights go black and Metallica's Seek and Destroy fills the stadium as Antti Niemi leads the team from out of the shark's mouth just as he has done numerous times this season.

The lights return and the National Anthem begins.

"Oh, say can you see..."

Chants of "Beat LA!" suddenly ring from the upper level of the right side of the arena.

It is playoff time in San Jose.

Goaltending

It has become a ritual in the NHL playoffs. A goalie gets hot and takes a team all the way.

We saw it with Antti Niemi last season for the Blackhawks, and you can even throw Michael Leighton of the Flyers in there as well for taking them to the Stanley Cup Finals last season.

So who is it this year?

It may be right in front of us.

The San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings matchup has two very good goalies capable of doing just that, and one of them already did it.

Both Jonathan Quick and Antti Niemi have the talent and type of game to take over a playoff series.

Niemi already has that reputation, as he took the Blackhawks all the way last season.

There is no telling how either of these goalies will play during this series, but they are very capable of standing on their heads and putting their team on their shoulders all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

As far as I'm concerned, the goaltending in this series is dead even.

Weaknesses

L.A. Kings

There is one glaring weakness for this team that has taken a dive since catching the injury bug just a few weeks ago.

Weapons.

With the loss of offensive leader, Anze Kopitar, for the series, who does this team turn to now?

Sure, they still has forces like Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth and Jarret Stoll, but Kopitar was the was undisputed offensive leader on this team with his 73 points, which was 16 points more than the second best on the team.

The Kings did get some good news yesterday when they learned that Justin Williams is expected to be back for the first round, but how much of an impact will he have? Reports are he returns at about 80% on Thursday.

Unfortunately for the Kings, the man who lead them this far will not be with them going forward. That is a cause for concern and a glaring weakness of the Kings.

San Jose Sharks

The weaknesses are obvious for the Sharks because they have been pretty consistent throughout the season.

The Sharks have two weakness: penalty kill and their blueline.

Since the injury of Scott Nichol, the Sharks' penalty kill has fallen from 10th in the NHL to 24th. Nichol is the heart and soul of this team when it comes to being down a player, which is why Nichol's return from injury on Thursday is much needed for the Sharks.

Still, how healthy will Nichol be?

He is known for his aggressive and annoying style of play. It's what makes him so good. But is he capable of that coming off of injury? We will soon find out.

The other weakness is the blueline.

They have tried so hard to replace the retired Rob Blake from last season, but yet this is still a glaring weakness of this team.

They acquired Ian White from Carolina to try and solve the problem, and although he has helped, White has not been seen much in the statistical category. But not many Sharks defenceman have, except for Dan Boyle, who will need to step his game up further than he ever has if this defense is to have success in these playoffs.

Strengths

L.A. Kings

The Kings' strength is their defense. Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Rob Scuderi and Willie Mitchell make up the core of one of the best bluelines in the NHL. They will definitely have the upper hand going up against the Sharks' struggling blueline.

More importantly, the Kings' defense has experience. Scuderi has won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh and Mitchell has been to the playoffs several times, most recently with the Canucks.

The Kings should be overwhelming favorites in the defense department.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks' strength is their weapons. There are so many possible break-out players on this team that it makes up (at least on paper) for the disparity in defense these two teams have.

We all know about the Big 3 of Thornton, Marleau and Heatley. But what about Logan Couture, Ryane Clowe, Devin Setoguchi or Joe Pavelski?

Expect even Torrey Mitchell to have a break-out playoff this year.

The Kings will have their hands full with all of these players who are just rearing to break-out in the playoffs.

X-Factor

L.A. Kings

Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick, at just 25-years-old, has the potential to take over games. Although he has a minor reputation for floundering in big games, Quick is talented.

The Sharks have been foiled by a hot goalies befor in the playoffs.

In 2009, Jonas Hiller of the Ducks stood on his head, and Antti Niemi did the same in 2010 with the Blackhawks to knock the Sharks out of the playoffs.

The Sharks have a reputation for this and there is no doubting that Quick has the capability to do it to them again.

San Jose Sharks

The X-Factor for the Sharks is history.

History says the Sharks choke in the playoffs year after year. Their big players become miniscule when the lights are on them.

If the Sharks can carry their great play at the end of the regular season into the playoffs, they should have no problem with the hurting Kings.

Can they prove history wrong?

But if Thornton, Marleau and Heatley don't come to play, the Kings have the ability, firepower and netminder to sneak past the Sharks in the first round.

Prediction

A combination of the Kings missing Kopitar, their star offensive player, and the Sharks numerous weapons and new-found grit will prove to be too much.

Sharks in 6

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NHL Playoffs: No One Tell Joe Thornton It Is Playoff Time

We've seen it before. The San Jose Sharks have an amazing regular season and hopes are high heading into the NHL playoffs.

There's too many weapons on this team to fail, right?

Wrong.

The NHL playoffs are a bigger beast and big names tend to crumble during this time, especially if they're wearing a Sharks jersey, or so history claims.

The perfect example of a big name becoming miniscule when the lights are on them is Joe Thornton.

Thornton had another very productive season at center for the Sharks. His 2010-11 tallied 70 points, just three points behind the team leader Patrick Marleau.

It was Thornton's lowest point total in five seasons.

But Shark fans know that this means nothing and has meant nothing for the last several years because Thornton seems to flop when it counts. I'm talking about playoff time.

Fact: A team with Joe Thornton on it has made it passed the second round of the NHL playoffs only once. That was last year.

The solution this year is to not tell him that he is playing in the NHL playoffs starting on Thursday. So be quiet...

It didn't always used to be like this.

Thornton's entry into the NHL as #1 overall pick in 1997 put the pressure on him to perform early in his career.

In his first playoff appearance at age 19 with the Boston Bruins, Thornton led the team in an upset of third-seeded Carolina before falling to Buffalo in the second round. Thornton would tally nine points in 11 games in those playoffs.

In 2002, Thornton lead the Bruins with six points in six games, but fell in the first round. Still, there was production.

It was the 2004 playoffs that started this whole mess of Thornton as a playoff flopper.

He would total zero points and finish at minus-6 in a seven game series.

After being traded to the Sharks, things have only gotten worse.

Thornton has never gone back to the type of production he had in that 2004 playoff series. In fact, Thornton has never been a total playoff flop. He has always scored around a point-per-game, but he's never been special around this time. There's never been anything to set him above everyone else, which is who he is during the regular season.

A more accurate term to describe Thornton when it matters is "underproductive."

We expect more from him.

Fans are always looking for the best players to go above and beyond in the heat of the moment, and Thornton has never been that guy.

Thornton has averaged 1.06 points-per-game in 995 regular season games played in his career.

His playoff average is 0.71 points-per-game.

That's not quite going above and beyond when it counts.

Until their captain and team leader starts producing when it counts, neither will the Sharks, or any team with Thornton on it, for that matter.

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Beat LA: 4 Reasons the Los Angeles Kings Are the Most Favorable Match-Up For the San Jose Sharks

In a final weekend of the NHL season that can only be described as "nutty," some teams got the match-up they wanted in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and others did not. I will gladly insert the San Jose Sharks into the "match-up they wanted" category for several reasons.

The Sharks will play the Los Angeles Kings in the 1st round of the NHL Playoffs that will start in San Jose at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

From a distance, the Kings may be the most favorable match-up in the entire Western Conference playoff picture for the Sharks. The Kings were the only team sliding down the conference ladder as of late, and most teams were dying to play them in round 1 despite the young core and solid goaltending the Kings have.

But the NHL playoffs are a different kind of beast, as the Sharks are very well aware of...and reminded of every year.

But in a conference that saw the eighth seed and second seed separated by just eight points, it seems the Sharks lucked out with this draw (as lucky as a match-up in the Western Conference playoffs can get).

4. BEAT LA

As if the HP Pavilion is not loud enough, how do you think it will be when a team from Los Angeles comes to play?

Sure, the Sharks/Kings NorcCal and SoCal rivalry isn't as potent as say a Giants/Dodgers rivalry, but I'm sure the fans in San Jose will make it just that way.

You can be sure to hear the deafening sounds of "Beat LA" ringing throughout the night, and in your mind the next morning.

As of right now, any team from L.A. is extremely hated in Northern California after the beating of a Giants fan in L.A. last week sending him into a coma.

You can be certain the fans at The Tank will do their job to make the sure the Kings have an extreme disadvantage in Round 1.

3. The Sharks Are Deeper This Year; Kings Lacking Weapons

This reason stands on more of a broader scale and really applies to the entire playoffs for the Sharks, but it is essential that this point get across against a Kings team that seems to lack weapons as of late.

The Sharks have the usual Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley weapons, as they do every year. They even had a terrific show from Joe Pavelski in last year's playoffs.

But this year, the Sharks do not have to completely rely on those original weapons because the Sharks have players that have contributed so much more this season.

I'm talking about ROY candidate Logan Couture, Ryane Clowe, Devin Setoguchi, and even shots in the dark like Torrey Mitchell or Ben Eager.

Each have contributed to this team and are responsible for the Sharks resurgence in the second half of this season.

They cannot rely on Thornton, Marleau and Heatley because time and time again they have disappointed when the team needs them most.

But the Sharks have never had the back-up weapons that they have this year, which is why it seems that if one player does not produce, then another will.

The Kings, on the other hand, seem to lack weapons due to injury, which is why the Kings were a favorable match-up against whoever they played in the first round.

2. Ducks and Predators Are Hot; Blackhawks Are Defending Champs

By process of elimination, the Kings were the most favorable match-up for the Sharks.

Going into the last weekend, the Sharks could have played anybody ranging from the Ducks to the Blackhawks.

It has been duly noted that hot teams continue to play hot into the playoffs. That would insinuate the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators as teams you might want to stay away from come playoff time.

The Ducks went 7-3-0 down the stretch of the season, including a domination against the Sharks in the two teams' most recent game against each other.

The Predators went 7-2-1 in their final 10 games and have played in several very close games with the Sharks this season. The Sharks and Predators seem to match-up very well with each other. A good match-up is probably not the most ideal first round opponent the Sharks wanted to face.

The Blackhawks snuck into the NHL playoffs by the skin of their teeth, but make no mistake, this team is not going down easy.

Although, goaltending is a problem, no team ever wants to go up against the defending Stanley Cup winners in the playoffs in the first round. The Canucks will have their hands full in round one.

The Kings, on the other hand, went a respectable 6-4-0 in their final 10 games, but lost three of four down the stretch, including a beat down by the Sharks in their most recent meeting, 6-1.

1. The Kings Are Hurt

Not the best reason, but injuries play such a key role in the NHL playoffs when you have one less weapon on the ice.

The Kings' leader in points and assists, Anze Kopitar, has no timetable for his return.

A blow for the Kings, as most scoring goes through Kopitar, who tallied 73 points this season.

Another blow: Kings' forward Justin Williams has been sidelined since March 21st with a dislocated shoulder.

Although Williams was supposed to be out four weeks, it seems the second-leading point man for the Kings will be returning to the ice earlier than expected and possibly in this series.

But Williams will not be 100% and will be wearing a harness on the ice if he does return.

These are arguably the top two offensive players for the Kings, and they will need all they can against a Sharks team that is completely healthy and ready to go.

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the San Francisco Giants' First Week of the Season

It has not been the most ideal start to the 2011 baseball season for the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, but it could be worse.

A 2-4 start has some freaking out and others, like sane people, just calling it a bit of a World Series hangover, which it is.

The Giants have targets on their backs now that they have rings on their fingers (or will have rings on their fingers on Saturday). They will be taking everyone's best shot from here forward.

Call it a slump, a World Series hangover or whatever, but I'm going to call it like it should be called: a roadtrip.

It doesn't matter how rude the scheduling committee was in sending the World Series Champions on road against division rivals for the first week. Defending World Champions should be playing at home to start the season.......against the Pirates....... just saying. It's common courtesy.

But now they're back home in San Francisco where they are comfortable and brought the city its first World Series championship.

That does not erase what happened this past week, though. There were good parts, bad parts and the ugliest of parts to this opening week of baseball for the defending champs.

The Good

There was patches of good in this first week of baseball for the Giants. The 2-4 record gives that away.

The good thing was the players who were supposed to perform did so.

Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain stand at the forefront of "the good."

Cain was spectacular in his 2011 debut, going six innings of five-hit ball in a 10-0 route of the Dodgers. He was the Giants' only pitcher with a win until Lincecum's gem on Wednesday.

Lincecum, the only Giant with two starts in 2011, has picked up where he left off 2010.

His first start in Los Angeles came in a loss, but he still went seven innings and only gave up five hits, while striking out five and not giving up an earned run.

He topped that on Wednesday in San Diego when he pitched another seven innings, this time only surrendering three hits and striking out 13.

But we expected that from those two.

We also exprected it from Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey, who have been a majority of the Giants runs so far this season.

Huff is batting .292 and leads the team in RBI's with seven.

Posey is batting .320 with five RBI's and is tied for the team lead in hits with eight.

But there's four players who have been mighty fine surprises for the Giants so far.

The comeback story that is Pablo Sandoval put on a show in his first week of weightless baseball batting .400, and has been a consistent force in that lineup with eight hits.

Freddy Sanchez has been consistent, as well, hitting .364.

But how about that one game? Remember that one?

It was just one game, and it could have been a sign of the world ending or something, but Aaron Rowand and Mark DeRosa played well in their only opportunities.

Rowand is 4 for 7 now in 2010, and DeRosa is 2 for 6. I say pencil them into the lineup, right?

The Bad

There is plenty bad to say about a 2-4 start to the season from the defending World Series champs, but I will keep it brief and to the point.

Pat Burrell was who we thought he was (thank you Denny Green). Burrell's .143 BA is sorry, but we expected that. Burrell's homerun presence (two homeruns) in the lineup may be the only thing keeping Bruce Bochy from inserting the "red hot" Rowand into the lineup.

Offseason acquisition Miguel Tejada wasn't all the Giants hoped he would be in his first werk, whatever they expected out of him. He is just batting .200 as a part of the Giants.

Rookie Brandon Belt can also be considered part of the "bad" category. He is a rookie and it is his first week in the major leagues, so take it for what it is, but Belt is 4 for 22 in his first week in The Bigs.

I, as I'm sure you all did, got all giddy after he impressed on Opening Night in Los Angeles, but we all saw this bit of a slump coming at some point.

A bright side: Belt is definitely a professional hitter, taking pitchers deep into counts, and having a great eye.

I'm not sure what the future holds for young Belt, but this guy has the "It" factor that teams dream of.

The Ugly

The Giants' first week got ugly at times, especially as of late.

Two pitchers provided the ugliness.

Madison Bumgarner's first opening week in the MLB didn't go as he may have planned.

He threw just three innings in San Diego, giving up three earned runs and five hits. Not the start many were hoping for from a 21-year old kid with extreme potential on the mound.

The other ugly part was Brian Wilson.

Sure, he was just coming off of the DL after a strained oblique sidelined him for a couple weeks, but a 40.50 ERA may say all that needs to be said here.

.2 innings pitched, two hits and three runs given up in 15 minutes.

The Beard was never feared less than Wednesday in San Diego.

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The Top 10 Greatest Fighters In San Jose Sharks History

The history of San Jose Sharks' fighters and enforcers is full of some pretty gritty players who share a special place in the minds of franchise-long Shark fans.

They can think back to Owen Nolan or Scott Parker, or even today's fighters like Ryane Clowe, Jamal Mayers and Douglas Murray.

But the majority of today's Sharks teamcan be considered anything but fighters. In fact, the team as a whole can be referred to as a bunch of pretty boys with Thornton, Marleau and Heatley rarely throwing a punch.

But today's game has changed. It isn't

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5 Reasons the San Jose Sharks Can Break the Curse and Reach the Stanley Cup Finals

When you think about curses in sports, what teams do you think about?

The Chicago Cubs? Cleveland sports? The late Red Sox before they won it all? Maybe the Detroit Lions or Toronto Maple Leafs?

How about the San Jose Sharks?

You wouldn't think it because of all the NHL playoff appearances and being legitimate Stanley Cup favorites year in and year out, but the Sharks are cursed.

Cursed by what?

There's a new one every year.

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