San Jose Sharks edge past Los Angeles Kings, 6-5: NHL Play-off Recap
Devin Setoguchi lit the lamp with the game-winning goal in the extra session, as the San Jose Sharks rallied from a four-goal deficit to take down the Los Angeles Kings, 6-5, in Game 3
of the Western Conference quarter-final series, at the Staples Centre on Tuesday night.
Ryane Clowe hit the net twice and Patrick Marleau notched a goal for San Jose, which got its second overtime victory in three contests after taking the series opener 3-2. Logan Couture
and Joe Pavelski both also posted second-period goals, while Antti Niemi stopped six shots before getting pulled out of the net. Antero Niittymaki replaced Niemi and finished the game with 11 saves.
Willie Mitchell and Kyle Clifford both found the back of the net for Los Angeles, which was unable to hit any shot on net in overtime while San Jose had two. Michal Handzus, Brad Richardson
and Ryan Smyth all also added a goal, while Jonathan Quick turned away 30 shots in the loss. Ian White, Dan Boyle and Niclas Wallin each assisted twice for the Kings.
Los Angeles took command of the play by scoring four consecutive goals, three in the first period and one in the second period.
Mitchell scored the first goal for 1-0 lead about 2 ½ minutes into the opening period with a wrist-shot that stunned Niemi, and then Clifford ripped a backhander past Niemi to give the
Kings 2-0 lead just 13 seconds later.
With less than two minutes left in the first period, Handzus put the Kings further ahead by 3-0 advantage, when he took a pass in the slot from Dustin Penner and unleashed a slap-shot
past Niemi for his first goal of the series.
Richardson then pushed the lead to 4-0 just 44 seconds into the middle session, when he won a face-off against Couture in the neutral zone, then got a take-away in the Sharks' zone to
set -up the goal. Richardson took advantage when Niemi had lost his stick and jammed the puck home for his first goal of the play-off.
The Sharks then jumped back into the game using a five-goal burst in the second period to surprise the Kings.
The comeback started just three minutes into the second period, when Marleau stuffed home Boyle’s pass from the right side of the net to make it 4-1 game. Then, about four minutes later,
Clowe cut the deficit in half, 4-2, when he got Couture’s pass and snapped a shot that hit off Mitchell’s stick and went home through Quick's pads.
Couture made it one-goal game, 4-3, with about 6 ½ minutes left in the period, when he took White's pass behind Quick and buried it home from the right circle. However, Los Angles got
one goal back just 15 seconds later, when Stoll tipped a backhander to the front of the net that Smyth stuffed in for 5-3 edge.
Clowe, though, made it one-goal game, 5-4, again with his second goal of the game with about 1 ½ minutes to play and then Pavelski pulled the game even at 5-5 with 30 seconds remaining
in the second period.
"That's as bad as it gets in the second period for sure," said Los Angeles head coach Terry Murray.
After combining for seven goals in the second period, both teams were unable to score in the third period that remained goal-less.
"It's something we have to understand that we were very fortunate to have come back from that deficit," said San Jose head coach Todd McLellan. "We're excited about it, but we also know
the mulligan that we used tonight won't be available to us again."
Setoguchi finally sealed the win at 6-5 about three minutes into the over-time. Marleau set up the goal, as he controlled the puck along the left wing and passed it to Setoguchi, who rushed
down the middle and rifled a shot past Quick.
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