Los Angeles Kings v San Jose Sharks (Staples Center!!!)
Time: 7.00 PM
TV: TSN, NBC Sports Network
Enemy reading: Fear the Fin
Previous playoffs coverage: Kings-Blues match-ups | Kings-Sharks preview
Sharks (projected) lineup:
Marleau-Couture-Torres
Galiardi-Thornton-Burns
Desjardins-Pavelski-Wingels
Sheppard-Gomez-Kennedy
Vlasic-Braun
Irwin-Boyle
Hannan-Stuart
Niemi
Injured: Burish, Havlat; Scratched: Demers, Hamilton, Kearns, Kennedy, Oleksuk, Pelech, Stalberg, Acolatse, Demelo, Petrecki, Tennyson
Kings (projected) lineup:
Brown-Kopitar-Williams
King-Richards-Carter
Penner-Stoll-Lewis
Nolan-Fraser-Toffoli
Regehr-Doughty
Muzzin-Voynov
Martinez-Scuderi
Quick
Injured: Mitchell, Greene, Clifford; Scratched: Richardson, the Manchester Monarchs
Game notes:
- In case you somehow missed it while the Kings were tussling with the Blues: the Sharks dispatched the Canucks in four games in the first round, completing the first sweep in franchise history, and now we’re not allowed to call them chokers anymore because they won with #grit and #heart or whateverrrr.
- Speaking of Joe Thornton, here is a chart. (And an explanation of said chart.)
- Adam Burish was injured in the last game against the Canucks and has been ruled out for round two. Martin Havlat and Jason Demers are both almost ready to play again, I believe, but I doubt either one gets inserted into the lineup tonight. My semi-educated guess is that Tim Kennedy fills in on the fourth line for at least game 1.
- I’d still prefer a switch with Dustin Penner returning to the second line and Dwight King to the third, but I don’t see any lineup changes happening for the Kings tonight. Kyle Clifford is practicing in a no-contact jersey with the Black Aces, and we still have no idea what is wrong with him.
- Robert’s excellent-as-usual series preview (linked up top) takes you through how the Kings and Sharks look to match up. If you’re too lazy to read all those words, the highlights: the Sharks have had an up-and-down season but got a lot better after the trade deadline (RIP Crankshaft), the Kings first line will need to remember that they’re one of the best lines in hockey, and the Kings have to stay out of the penalty box because the Sharks power play is pretty deadly. (Hey, no problem – the Kings are always super-disciplined against the Sharks, right? Yup.)
- For those of you who don’t know, I am Canadian. And when anyone says California, this is what I think of:
- I’m sorry for sharing that with you, but I needed you all to understand my pain. Anyway. Prediction: Kings win, Logan Couture gnashes his teeth in fury, Selena Gomez refuses to comfort him. And Barret Jackman remains incredulous.