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Flameout on
Figeroa
Sharks drop 3rd straight to Kings
Last Sunday, you were all wondering if the Sharks
would finish off the Kings in Game 4 or 5. A week later, everyone is now
praying the Sharks will figure out how to turn around another post-season
collapse. After storming to a 3-0 series lead against the Kings, San Jose
capped what will go down as the Flamout on Figeroa on Monday night with another
playoff implosion and a 3rd straight Kings win to force a Game 7 on Wednesday
night. Should the Sharks figure out how to somehow turn the tide and actually
outscore the Kings, San Jose will have expended a ton of energy just to get out
of the 1st round. When the Sharks did the exact thing in 2011, they had nothing
left and were dispatched easily in the 2nd round.
* Monday night was
the tight knit game that everyone expected in the series, until the 3rd period
rolled around and the Sharks folded like a deck of cards that were doused in
gas and ignited with a flamethrower.
* Los Angeles did what they
needed to do, scoring 3rd uncontested goals in that 3rd period to steamroll the
Sharks by a 4-1 score.
* The Sharks had the perfect excuse to lay
down. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, arguably their best defenseman, was unable to play
after sustaining a concussion on a Jarret Stoll cheap shot in Game 5. With
Vlasic out of the lineup, San Jose was forced to lean on a farm hand in Matt
Irwin who was on the ice for a controversial goal that turned out to be the
game winner.
* That goal came with just over 8 minutes remaining in a
1-1 game. Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock appeared to have a puck covered, but
Justin Williams essentially pushed Stalock, dislodging the puck and allowing it
to roll over the goal line. Sharks head coach Todd McLellan says his team was
"cheated." Referee Chris Lee insists that he never lost sight of the puck, even
though he clearly raised his whistle to his mouth and then dropped it when the
puck squirted out.
* When pressed to describe what happened, McLellan
lamented that he wish all the reporters in the room could interview the on ice
officials to get their explanation.
* The goal changed the entire
complexion of the game. The Sharks found themselves trailing with 8 minutes to
play, so they were forced to open up the offense. That turned into more room
for the Kings who converted less than 2 minutes later, then added a power play
goal with 5:18 to play to pound the final nail in the Sharks coffin.
*
Williams kicked off the game's scoring with a goal 5:39 into the contest,
tapping home a Drew Doughty feed to the front of the net. Doughty carried the
puck up the left wing boards before putting on the breaks and throwing the puck
to the front of the net. Williams was left unattended and coasted toward the
right post and tapped home his 3rd of the playoffs as Joe Pavelski tried to get
back and cover.
* From the irony department, Joe Thornton was sent off
for kneeing Dustin Brown, who was credited with four 9's and a 10 from the
Russian judge on the ensuing dive. Brown of course, continued to play, because
it was harmless contact.
* Willie Mitchell just missed making it a 2-0
Kings lead early in the 2nd period when his long shot weaved through traffic
and bounced off the right post.
* San Jose had a golden opportunity to
bite into the Kings when Robyn Regehr and Jarret Stoll took penalties 23
seconds apart to setup a lengthy 5-on-3 power play for the Sharks. San Jose
tried to setup the perfect shot with a series of perimeter passes that did
nothing other than kill clock.
* Drew Doughty clipped Patrick Marleau
with a high stick a minute after Stoll's penalty expired to put the Sharks
right back on the power play. The Sharks 19th ranked power play did little to
challenge Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, generating zero shots on goal.
* San Jose finally got on the board 30 seconds after Doughty's penalty
expired. Justin Braun threw a shot on net from the right point, allowing James
Sheppard to tip the puck past Quick for the tying goal.
* Tomas Hertl
narrowly missed putting the Sharks ahead on the ensuing shift, taking a lead
pass up the left wing before forcing a shot that Quick blocked by sliding to
his right.
* The Kings lost defenseman Willie Mitchell to what
appeared to be a knee injury midway through the middle period. Mitchell played
a handful of shifts before heading to the dressing room. That's the last the
sellout crowd would see of Mitchell.
* Marion Gaborik just missed on a
chance with under a minute to play in the 2nd period, pushing a shot over the
crossbar from 10 feet out.
* Matt Nieto put a shot on goal during a wild exchange
midway through the 3rd period, clipping the top of the crossbar to keep things
tied.
* All hell broke loose when Williams converted with his 2nd goal
of the game. Kopitar then scored his 2nd of the series at 13:27, banging home a
rebound after Williams put a shot on net that Stalock couldn't control.
* Tommy Wingels added to the Sharks misery by taking a questionable
hooking penalty that looked more like two guys tangled up with each other.
Kopitar capitalized with his 2nd goal of the game on the ensuing power play to
push the Kings lead to 4-1.
* The next 5 minutes looked more like a
WWE event for underachievers. Raffit Torres and Williams locked horns and were
promptly shown the door with roughing minors and 10 minute misconducts.
* Rather than do anything meaningful in the game, Sharks captain Joe
Thornton elected to take a run at Drew Doughty, cross checking him in front of
the Kings net. Quick took exception and went after Thornton by trying to cover
his eyes from behind and setting off a tag team wrestling match on the ice.
Quick was assessed a roughing minor, rather than the instigator penalty that he
deserved.
* When the smoke cleared, the Kings had rallied back from a
3-0 series deficit and now look to the Game 7 that awaits both teams on
Wednesday night. The Sharks hold home ice advantage, but the Kings hold the
psychological edge having won the last three games. Regardless of the outcome
on Wednesday, the Sharks look ill prepared to do any damage beyond the first
round.
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Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| LA |
1 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
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| 1st period - 1, LA,
Williams 3 (Doughty, Muzzin), 5:39. |
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| 2nd period - 2, SJ,
Sheppard 2 (Braun, Torres), 12:26. |
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| 3rd period - 3, LA,
Williams 4 (Regehr), 11:56. 4, LA, Kopitar 2 (Williams, King), 13:27; 5, LA,
Kopitar 3 (Doughty, Martinez), 14:42, (pp). |
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| 1st period - Desjardins,
SJ (fighting major), 6:11; Clifford, LA (fighting major), 6:11; Thornton, SJ
(kneeing), 11:14. |
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| 2nd period - Regehr, LA
(interference), 6:17; Stoll, LA (high sticking), 6:40; Doughty, LA (high
sticking), 9:54. |
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| 3rd period - Pearson, LA
(unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:29; Boyle, SJ (interference), 2:01; Wingels, SJ
(hooking), 13:56; Couture, SJ (fighting major), 14:47; Richards, LA (fighting
major), 14:47; Torres, SJ (roughing), 14:59; Torres, SJ (10 min misconduct),
14:59; Williams, LA (roughing), 14:59; Williams, LA (10 min misconduct), 14:59;
Desjardins, SJ (roughing), 18:14; Burns, SJ (roughing), 18:14; Thornton, SJ
(roughing), 18:14; Quick, LA (roughing), 18:14; Stoll, LA (roughing), 18:14;,
LA (10 min misconduct), 18:14. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Stalock |
30 |
26 |
| LA - Quick |
26 |
25 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
11 |
9 |
6 |
26 |
| LA |
12 |
5 |
13 |
30 |
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| Referees: Lee, St
Laurent. Linesmen: Racicot, Heyer. |
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