Onto my 3rd game for the day and im hoping for as much entertainment as there was in the previous 2.
Starting netminders for the teams remained the same as the 1st with Neimi and Quick between the pipes.
The question was could the Kings get the series tied up at 1-1 and take home ice advantage going back to Los Angeles.
Couture had the 1st real chance of the game just under 5 minutes in, firing a one timer which Quick got his pad down to and blocked away. A few seconds later Heatley was beaten to the puck infront by Mitchell, stopping him from tapping into an open net.
The opening 8 minutes saw some tight, tough defending and Clifford was called fo roughing at 8.32 to give the Sharks the 1st powerplay of the game. The Kings killed that off and soon went on their own powerplay with Eager called at 11.26 for Slashing. The Kings took advantage with Johnson scoring at 12.13 from the point with a low slapshot.
Ryan Clowe took a stupid penalty at 13.50 with an elbow call against him straight from a face off.
This time it was Doughty who put the puck behind Neimi. He absolutely rocketed the puck high into the net from between the circles. 2 powerplay goals on 2 attempts from the Kings at 15.43.
17.52 and Clowe took his 2nd penalty of the period, cross checking Doughty to the ice right infront of the net. This time the Kings didn't capatlise on the 2 man advantage but indiscipline from the Sharks had given the Kings a 2-0 lead going into the 2nd period of the game.
3.39 into the 2nd and Demers fired the puck over the boards, picking up 2 minutes for delaying the game as the indiscipline from the Sharks continued.
Scuderi nearly made it 3-0 around the 7 minute mark of the 2nd, with his long range wrist shot rattling off the goal post.
8.30 saw Martinez called for hooking and gave the Sharks their 2nd powerplay chance and 1st since early in the 1st. Some good possesion in the attacking zone from the Sharks as Demer hit a shot wide and a shot straight at Quick. The Sharks struggled to create a clear cut chance.
The Kings came back with some good 5 on 5 play and as Johnson threw a puck on net it landed in Ryan Smyth's feet and just as he was trying to get his stick down to bury the puck Wallin took a slash at him, preventing the goal and taking a 2 minute minor.
On the consequent powerplay Doughty broke his stick on a shot leading to the puck being cleared and a shorthanded chance for the Sharks, Brown taking a tripping penalty for the Kings in trying to stop an open chance.
Doughty blasted in his 2nd goal of the night at 15.42. He was allowed to drift along the blue line and line up his slapshot from the middle of the ice. Unchallenged he sent a skipping puck low and through the legs of Neimi for a 3-0 lead.
It was a 3 goal lead that the Kings took into the 3rd period even though at this point they had been outshot 23-16.
The Sharks failed on an early powerplay chance in the 3rd with Penner sitting out 2 minutes for roughing, not really creating a noteworthy chance to mention.
Clifford made the game 4-0 at 4.54, Richardson spinning and putting the puck infront of the net for Clifford to outbattle Thornton and back hand the puck into an open net as Neimi couldn't slide across quick enough. Doughty picking up his 4th point of the game on an assist, taking him to 2+2.
The 4th goal killed off any San Jose hopes of getting back into this game and the remainder of the 3rd period played out quietly without any huge incident.
Quick stood up to everything the Sharks threw at him without having to be outstanding, saving ...
Man of the match for me was Drew Doughty. Everytime he picked up the puck in the offensive end there was the promise a chance could materialise and he hit 2 huge shots into the basket.
San Jose need to assess how they can keep the puck away from the likes of Doughty and Johnson. They need to cut out silly individual penalties as the Kings have the players to take advantage on the powerplay.
But what must be worrying for San Jose is Neimi wasn't really shielded for any of the big goals from the blasts and the puck seemed to just go through him. The Sharks need him to make those saves and keep them in the game.
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