The San Jose Sharks Will try to Take a 2-0 Lead Over the LA Kings

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The San Jose Sharks Will try to Take a 2-0 Lead Over the LA Kings

If the San Jose Sharks thought that they would run away with game one of the playoffs against the LA Kings they were mistaken. Now they will try to go up 2-0 when the teams meet again.

The Kings couldn't have put themselves in a much worse scenario, as the Sharks scored a goal on the game's first shift, 28 seconds into the first period, and held a 14-3 edge in shots on goal after 20 minutes. The Kings, though, found their spirit in the second period and came back to tie the game after facing deficits of 1-0 and 2-1. The Kings certainly played well enough to win, and had couple goal-front chances in overtime, but San Jose's Joe Pavelski scored the winner 14:44 into overtime.

Justin Williams returned to the Kings lineup after missing nine games with a dislocated shoulder, but Kings coach Terry Murray didn't do much shifting to his lineup. In something of a surprise move, Murray kept fourth-line enforcer Kevin Westgarth in the lineup and scratched rookie Oscar Moller. Murray kept two of his four lines intact, as Dustin Brown moved into Moller's previous spot, alongside center Michal Handzus and winger Dustin Penner, and Williams had a reunion with former linemates Jarret Stoll and Ryan Smyth.

The Kings, somewhat surprisingly, won the special-teams battle against the Sharks, as they went 1-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. The Kings finished the regular season with the NHL's 21st-ranked power-play unit, while the Sharks had the league's second-best power-play unit.

The Kings are playing strong enough to win this game and make this an interesting series.

Hockey Picks: LA Kings

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