The Los Angeles Kings have had brutal playoff losses to the San Jose Sharks before. I’m not sure they’ve ever had one this comprehensive, though. In 2011, when the Sharks came back from 4-0 down to win Game 3, the Sharks did all their damage in one period before winning in overtime. Tonight? After one period in which the Sharks probably didn’t deserve to trail, they overwhelmed Jonathan Quick and the Kings with seven goals over the final 40 minutes.
Steph was creating GIFs throughout the game, so if you missed it, feel free to catch yourself up below.
First Period
Jake Muzzin (1), from Drew Doughty (1) and Anze Kopitar (2)
Muzzin beats Antti Niemi through traffic to put the Kings on top three minutes in. [GIF]
Trevor Lewis (2), from Jeff Carter (2)
Lewis gets to the front before Marc-Edouard Vlasic to tip in a pass from Carter. Look at that shooting percentage! [GIF]
Second Period
Mike Brown (1), from Andrew Desjardins (1)
Brown sucks, but he is an NHL player. Any NHL player can score when you turn the puck over in your own zone, and when seventh defenseman Matt Greene couldn’t connect with Kyle Clifford, Brown did just that. [GIF]
Raffi Torres (2), from Andrew Desjardins (2)
Unlike Brown, Torres is a pretty useful player. Again, a Shark gets too much space on a rush. That’s a theme. [GIF]
Justin Braun (1), from James Sheppard (3) and Joe Pavelski (2)
As Willie Mitchell and Tommy Wingels jostle in front, Justin Braun’s wrist shot gets through traffic to beat Jonathan Quick. [GIF]
Patrick Marleau (2), from Matt Nieto (2) and Logan Couture (2)
The defense could have done a better job, but Quick once again can’t come up with the save on Marleau’s wrister. In the first period, he looked excellent, but he simply couldn’t stop the Sharks on rushes in the second and third. [GIF]
Joe Pavelski (1), from Dan Boyle (1) and Tommy Wingels (2)
Having said that: you try facing a 3-on-0 and stopping that shot by Pavelski. [GIF]
Logan Couture (1), from Patrick Marleau (1) and Matt Nieto (3)
The wheels were off at this point… Slava Voynov deflects Marleau’s pass, but not enough to keep Couture from getting it alone in front. [GIF]
Joe Thornton (PPG, 2), from Joe Pavelski (3) and Dan Boyle (2)
After Greene tries to send a message by going after Torres, and Jarret Stoll high-sticks Joe Thornton, Thornton and the Sharks make it look easy on the 5-on-3. [GIF]
The rest of the game consisted of the Kings trying (in vain) to get in the Sharks’ heads, San Jose missing a couple chances to rub it in further, and Jonathan Quick shaking his head in disbelief. Mike Richards ended an embarrassing night for the Kings by spearing Logan Couture. Darryl Sutter thought Quick was fine, though it was an odd choice to leave him in when things degenerated into chaos in the third period.
The conversation on what the Kings should do heading into Game 3 is right here.