The Los Angeles Kings have made a habit of falling flat in the season’s opening game, and with Tanner Pearson suspended and Marian Gaborik injured, offense was probably going to be the issue if there was an issue tonight. As it turns out, there were two issues after this 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
Jonathan Quick left after one period with a lower-body injury, leaving the Kings with more questions than answers. Rank the players below.
The Kings’ moves to stock up on goaltending depth look even more prescient now that Jeff Zatkoff is the Kings’ starter. The problem is that none of LA’s netminders — not Zatkoff, not Budaj, and definitely not Jack Campbell — are the kind of backup you’d trust over a long stretch. That’s a problem, especially with an offense that isn’t likely to carry things for long stretches. The Kings can certainly hang with any team, just as they hung with the Sharks tonight, but they’ll have their work cut out for them.
Recap coming. In the meantime, let us know what you thought of this game in the comments.