San Jose Sharks play host to Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, game 5 – NHL playoffs
The fifth game of the series between San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings will be played on Saturday at the HP Pavilion.
The Sharks are leading the series 3-1. The last two games have been very productive with the Sharks scoring 6 goals in each of the two games. The last game that was played at the Staples Centre saw the Sharks coming up with a superb offensive display that
saw them scoring half a dozen goals to win the game 6-3 in the end.
The Kings are facing very tough times in the postseason as they have not been able to score goals every now and then. The Kings have been outshot 12-4 since they won the second game 4-0. Jonathan Quick had done pretty well in the opening games of the series
but he has been all over the place in the last two games.
He has given up 12 goals which have hurt them a great deal. Coach Terry Murray said that Quick will maintain the goal-tending job.
“No change in goal. Absolutely not,” he said after Friday’s practice. “Jonathan Quick’s our goaltender. He’s our No. 1 guy, period. Those goals that we’re seeing coming against us right now are a result of team play. Everybody is involved in it. He has played
good. In fact, in the first period, I thought they would not score a goal on him (in the game). He was that sharp, in my opinion.”
Though the defence is expected to remain the same, it is predicted that there will be some changes upfront. The most notable is going to be that of Scott Parse who has been out since November 2010 and will join the Kings in this game.
The other side of the story is that the Sharks are not expected to come up with any major changes and are expected to go into the game with the same squad.
“If we let up or take our foot off the gas pedal for any little bit it's going to cost us,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. “I'd like to think we're growing up as a team and are able to put some of those lapses behind us. Tomorrow will be a reflection
on whether we've learned a lesson or whether we'll be taught a lesson.”
The Sharks are not taking the game lightly and are saying that they will give it their best shot as they want to wrap up the series and book a place in the semi-finals.
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