LA Kings vs San Jose Sharks: Game 1 Recap, and why the Sharks will win the Stanley Cup
LA Kings vs San Jose Sharks
Joe Pavelski has gotten used to the "first round hero" slogan. He scored the winner in Game 4 and the equalizer in Game 2 in San Jose's 4-2 series win over Colorado last year. He's gotten the Sharks started again.
Pavelski's goal 14:44 into overtime gave the Sharks a 3-2 OT win over the LA Kings and a 1-0 series lead in the third ever all-California playoff matchup. Logan Couture and Dany Heatley scored for San Jose, while Justin Williams and Dustin Brown found the net for Los Angeles.
28 seconds into the game, Ryane Clowe took a shot, and it richoted off of goalie Jonathan Quick. Heatley picked up the rebound and scored, just 28 seconds into the game. The Sharks completely outplayed the Kings for the first period and a half, taking 18 shots to LA's 3.
Then Dustin Brown got going, firing a slapshot from the left side past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi, tying the game at 1. However, that lead lasted less than 3 minutes, for Logan Couture skated down the left side, avoided a hip check and fired a shot. Quick deflected the puck but the puck still found the net, and San Jose had the lead back.
Unfortunately for San Jose, Niemi couldn't hold the lead. 3 players were fighting for the puck behind the net, and it went to Justin Williams. He slipped the puck into the goal, and the game was tied. Both teams had lots of chances, but no one could beat the goalies. The game went into overtime.
Less than 2 mintues into the extra session, Kyle Clifford got a key chance. All he had to do was fire a quick wrist shot past Niemi and the Kings had the 1-0 lead. But Niemi stretched his leg out and made the save, and he made another key save to keep San Jose in the game.
His efforts would prove amazing. Kyle Wellwood was skating down the left side, and he fired a pass to Joe Pavelski, who took a quick shot. It found the top corner of the goal, and the Sharks found a 1-0 series lead.
Why San Jose will win the Series
Antti Niemi has already won a Stanley Cup with Chicago. He was the reason they won, making great saves and answering the calls of fans with a Stanley Cup title. He knows how to keep the puck out of the net, and he showed that on Thursday.
I wouldn't be surprised. The Sharks are loaded with talent. The 2 Joe's (Thornton and Pavelski), Dany Heatley, Logan Couture, Torii Mitchell, Ryane Clowe, Patrick Marleau, Devin Setoguchi. I could go on and on and on and on and on. These guys are loaded with talent, with 6 players scoring 20+ goals.
Pavelski and Setoguchi have answered the call during the playoffs, Heatley and Clowe have experience, and Thornton and Marleau have experience. Although the playoffs has not been so fun for San Jose, the team came together pretty well in Game 1. Expect the Sharks to transform into the team that went from out of the playoffs in midseason to second seed, and of course, win the Stanley Cup!
Other headlines
Carey Price has 31 saves as Boston can't capatilize, lose to Montreal 2-0.
35 saves from Ryan Miller (Olympic style) give Buffalo 1-0 series lead on Philadelphia.
Joe Pavelski has gotten used to the "first round hero" slogan. He scored the winner in Game 4 and the equalizer in Game 2 in San Jose's 4-2 series win over Colorado last year. He's gotten the Sharks started again.
Pavelski's goal 14:44 into overtime gave the Sharks a 3-2 OT win over the LA Kings and a 1-0 series lead in the third ever all-California playoff matchup. Logan Couture and Dany Heatley scored for San Jose, while Justin Williams and Dustin Brown found the net for Los Angeles.
28 seconds into the game, Ryane Clowe took a shot, and it richoted off of goalie Jonathan Quick. Heatley picked up the rebound and scored, just 28 seconds into the game. The Sharks completely outplayed the Kings for the first period and a half, taking 18 shots to LA's 3.
Then Dustin Brown got going, firing a slapshot from the left side past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi, tying the game at 1. However, that lead lasted less than 3 minutes, for Logan Couture skated down the left side, avoided a hip check and fired a shot. Quick deflected the puck but the puck still found the net, and San Jose had the lead back.
Unfortunately for San Jose, Niemi couldn't hold the lead. 3 players were fighting for the puck behind the net, and it went to Justin Williams. He slipped the puck into the goal, and the game was tied. Both teams had lots of chances, but no one could beat the goalies. The game went into overtime.
Less than 2 mintues into the extra session, Kyle Clifford got a key chance. All he had to do was fire a quick wrist shot past Niemi and the Kings had the 1-0 lead. But Niemi stretched his leg out and made the save, and he made another key save to keep San Jose in the game.
His efforts would prove amazing. Kyle Wellwood was skating down the left side, and he fired a pass to Joe Pavelski, who took a quick shot. It found the top corner of the goal, and the Sharks found a 1-0 series lead.
Why San Jose will win the Series
Antti Niemi has already won a Stanley Cup with Chicago. He was the reason they won, making great saves and answering the calls of fans with a Stanley Cup title. He knows how to keep the puck out of the net, and he showed that on Thursday.
I wouldn't be surprised. The Sharks are loaded with talent. The 2 Joe's (Thornton and Pavelski), Dany Heatley, Logan Couture, Torii Mitchell, Ryane Clowe, Patrick Marleau, Devin Setoguchi. I could go on and on and on and on and on. These guys are loaded with talent, with 6 players scoring 20+ goals.
Pavelski and Setoguchi have answered the call during the playoffs, Heatley and Clowe have experience, and Thornton and Marleau have experience. Although the playoffs has not been so fun for San Jose, the team came together pretty well in Game 1. Expect the Sharks to transform into the team that went from out of the playoffs in midseason to second seed, and of course, win the Stanley Cup!
Other headlines
Carey Price has 31 saves as Boston can't capatilize, lose to Montreal 2-0.
35 saves from Ryan Miller (Olympic style) give Buffalo 1-0 series lead on Philadelphia.
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