San Jose Sharks defeat Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in over-time of Game 1 – NHL Play-offs Update
The Los Angeles Kings played hard against their Californian rivals without both of their top players but lost 3-2 in over-time to the San Jose Sharks at the sold out HP Pavilion Arena in San Jose.
Both goalies Jonathan Quick and Antti Niemi stepped up their game and performed exceptionally well. Quick stretched to deflect 42 shots of 45 attempts while Niemi had less rejections to make, blocking 33 of 35.
Dany Heatley of the San Jose Sharks opened up the scoring 28 seconds into the initial period. Dustin Brown levelled up the match nearly mid-way through the second, but the All-Star rookie Logan Couture notched in his play-off first nearly three minutes later
to again take the lead.
The Sharks were leading near the end of the second and Los Angeles had a hard time recovering from the deficit. After Los Angeles scored on San Jose’s first penalty of the period, Justin Williams replied with another with less than four minutes remaining
to tie up the match.
Los Angeles seemed desperate entering the post-season, not having made the finals since 1993 when Wayne Gretzsky was playing, they had a legitimate excuse. The Kings maintained their reputation as penalty killers, blocking the Sharks from scoring during
any of the five power-play opportunities they got.
A fight broke out during the final moments of the first period as Kyle Clifford and Ben Eager exchanged fists with 22 seconds remaining. Both received a five-minute major penalty and were sent to the bench.
Both teams were frantic as they entered a special play-off 20 minute over-time which would allow the team who scored first to win. Joe Pavelski scored the game winner in OT for the third time in his career. He went on a 3-on-2 breakaway with Kyle Wellwood
who passed him the puck through a number of Kings’ defensemen, firing it from 20 feet through Quick to take an early lead in the quarter-finals.
The Kings meet the Sharks again in San Jose for game two on Saturday.
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