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Game three was not supposed to go like that. When the Los Angeles Kings chased San Jose Sharks starting goaltender Antti Niemi from the ice at 44 seconds of the second period after scoring their fourth goal on last year’s Stanley Cup winning goalie, the Kings were supposed to cruise to a win. But just like online betting on Kentucky Derby long shots, you never count a team like San Jose out until the game is over. By the time game three was over, the Sharks had won 6-5 in overtime and had taken a 2-1 series lead. For the Los Angeles Kings, the bad NHL news did not end there.
It was incredibly obvious that the problem for the Sharks in game three was the play of Niemi. The San Jose goalie was not the victim of bad breaks, weak defense or too many shots. In the first period, Niemi allowed three goals on only nine shots. That means that the San Jose defense has finally come to life and is shutting down the Los Angeles offense. Considering the fact that the Los Angeles offense is already depleted with injuries, that could be a very bad sign for the Los Angeles Kings.
San Jose Sharks
When the Kings scored their fourth goal of game two at 44 seconds of the second period, it just looked like the Sharks had had enough of the Los Angeles Kings. In that period, the Sharks scored five goals on 18 shots. They were relentless. Not only that, but the Sharks limited the Kings to only 13 shots on goal for the second and third period combined. A 5dimes review of the second period shows a Sharks team that we are used to seeing in the regular season. They were bringing the play to the opposition while limiting the exposure of their own goaltender. The problem for San Jose the past few years is that they have been unable to bring that style of play in to the post-season. Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks have figured out how to play their style in the playoffs.
Los Angeles Kings
What killed the Kings in game three is the same things that killed the Kings in the middle of the regular season. Goaltender Jonathan Quick was inconsistent, the defense was too slow to keep up with the Sharks and the offense went into hiding. Aside from Jack Johnson, the Los Angeles defense was incapable of skating with the bigger and stronger forwards of the Sharks. Jonathan Quick cannot be completely to blame as he had to handle 18 shots in the second period, and many of them were quality. But he is allowing big rebounds again and not covering the puck during scrambles around the net. These are the things that derailed the Kings earlier in the season, and they will derail them in the playoffs.
The Bottom Line
The Los Angeles Kings were one of the big disappointments for the 2010-2011 season. The Kings were projected to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference, but they barely made the playoffs. Without top scorer and playmaker Anze Koptiar, the Kings just look lost.
Pick: San Jose Sharks
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