Joe Thornton helps San Jose Sharks beat Los Angeles Kings, 4-3: NHL Play-off Recap
Joe Thornton notched the game-winning goal in the extra-session to help the second-seeded San Jose Sharks edge past the Los Angeles Kings 4-3, which closed out the Western Conference quarter-final
series in Game 6 on Monday night.
Kyle Wellwood and Jason Demers both tallied second-period goals while Dany Heatley scored a goal in the third for the Sharks, who bounced back from their Saturday’s 3-1 loss to win first-round
play-off series 4-2. The goal-tender Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots for the victors.
Trevor Lewis posted a goal and dished out an assist while Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams each also scored a goal for Los Angeles, which dropped three overtime contests in a play-off series
for the first time since the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals against Montreal Canadiens.
The Kings' goal-tender Jonathan Quick, who stopped a franchise playoff-record 51 shots in Game 5, allowed all four goals on 35 shots in the defeat.
After a score-less first period, the Sharks got the scoring started in the third minute of the middle frame. Thornton centred a pass to Wellwood, who fired a shot from the slot past Quick
to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
Los Angeles tied the game at 1-1 on a power-play in the 12th minute of the second period. The goal came when Williams tucked home a rebound less than three minutes into the man advantage.
San Jose went ahead 2-1 with less than four minute remaining in the second frame when Demers unleashed a snap-shot from the right circle past Quick.
Los Angeles pulled even again just less than a minute into the final period when Smyth jammed home a rebound to make it a 2-2 game.
The Sharks went back in front in the ninth minute of the third frame. The goal occurred when Heatley grabbed the disc at the blue line and hit a snap shot from the left circle that beat
Los Angeles net-minder to make it 3-2.
The Kings equalised it at 3-3 on a power-play with less than nine minutes to play in the final frame when Lewis whacked in a rebound off a shot from Jarret Stoll.
The Kings had a good opportunity to break the 3-3 tie with less than four minutes remaining in regulation when the Sharks were given a five-minute major and an automatic game misconduct
for charging Brad Richardson putting Los Angeles on the power-play.
Niemi was strong between the pipes, turning away multiple shots in the final minutes to send the contest into extra-session.
The Kings’ five-minute power-play carried into the overtime, but San Jose killed it off.
"That's a critical moment in the game right there; we had a chance to put it away," Los Angeles Head Coach Terry Murray said. "I thought we did with about 17 seconds left in the game,
there was celebration going on, people were throwing their arms in the air. I thought it was over. But again, that's a missed opportunity."
Thornton’s deciding-goal capped the scoring in the overtime. Devin Setoguchi grabbed the puck along the left boards and sent a pass to the front of the net that hit off the skate of Patrick
Marleau and bounced around. Thornton then collected the puck and put it into the wide open net to snatch the victory.
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