16: Kings-Sharks WCQF Game 3 Preview

Los Angeles Kings v San Jose Sharks (Staples Center)

Time: 7:00 PM

TV: CBC, RDS, NBCSN, Prime

Enemy reading: Fear the Fin

Sharks (projected) lineup:

Pavelski-Thornton-Burns
Marleau-Couture-Nieto
Hertl-Sheppard-Wingels
Torres-Desjardins-Brown

Vlasic-Demers
Stuart-Braun
Hannan-Boyle

Niemi

Injured: Adam Burish; Scratched: Martin Havlat, Tyler Kennedy, Matt Irwin, Matt Tennyson

Kings (projected) lineup:

Gaborik-Kopitar-Williams
lol who knows

Muzzin-Doughty
Regehr-Voynov
Mitchell-Martinez

Quick

Injured: n/a; Scratched: LOL WHO KNOWS, probably Matt Greene

Game Notes:

• WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING HERE. To recap: Linden Vey has been sent down to the AHL, Colin Fraser has been called up, and it's possible that Tyler Toffoli may be scratched because who needs to play good hockey players when you have Kyle Clifford, Jordan Nolan, and Colin goddamn Fraser.
  
• None of this is acceptable to me and I hate everything.
• It's hard to discuss what seems to be wrong with the Kings when the answer seems to be everything. They've been porous defensively, weak offensively, and generally disorganized, undisciplined, and terrible. The problem isn't, as we know, the quality of the players (this is a good team, and despite my raging about the bottom six, the Kings have rolled some pretty weak third/fourth lines and still been alright). But who knows why they can't seem to execute at this crucial time? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• The Kings generally might give up about 13 goals in a series, not 13 goals in two games. It probably wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if Martin Jones gets his first start of the playoffs tonight.
• The one bit of good news is that it appears that the Sharks will be sticking with the same lineup in Los Angeles as they had in San Jose, which means that Darryl Sutter might be able to get something going tonight with last change.
• At the very least, the psychological effect of playing a home game in a series ruled by the home team might be of some positive benefit to the Kings. That's the sort of straw I've been reduced to grasping at. Ugh.
  
• ~Fun With Numbers~ from Extra Skater.
• Prediction: The Kings don't embarrass us any further, for the love of something holy.