SAN JOSE—Special teams once again killed the Los Angeles Kings as they fell to the Sharks 3-2 in San Jose at the SAP Center on Wednesday, April 20.
In Game 3 of the series, the Kings lone victory so far, Los Angeles held San Jose scoreless on the power play, allowing them to come away with a dramatic victory in overtime. Game 4 was slightly different.
After a first period that saw no goals and no penalties, the second told a different tale as the Sharks netted two power play goals to take a 2-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Kings could not capitalize on their two power plays in the period and the score remained at a two-point deficit at the end of the second.
Shortly into the third, San Jose once again went on the power play after Jamie McBain was called for hi-sticking against Joonas Donskoi. Patrick Marleau took a tricky rebound off his skate and put a backhand shot past Goalie Jonathan Quick for what would end up being the game-winning goal.
The Kings proved why they are a playoff team and did not go down without a fight as they staged a furious rally to comeback.
Trevor Lewis tipped in a shot from the point merely a minute after Marleau’s goal bringing the deficit back to two goals. With just over 13 minutes remaining in the period, Luke Schenn guided a wrist shot through traffic that found its way past Goalie Martin Jones, inching the Kings closer to tying the game.
In the waning minutes, Coach Sutter pulled Quick to give the Kings and extra skater but they were unable able to complete the comeback and skated off the ice with a 3-1 disadvantage in the 7-game series.
Jonathan Quick had 26 saves on 29 shots for the Kings, and Martin Jones stopped 26 of 28 shots for the Sharks.
The series shifts back to Los Angeles as the Kings must now win every game in order to advance to the second round. Game 5 is scheduled for Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Staples Center
