The Los Angeles Kings have yet another playoff matchup against the San Jose Sharks and they know each other very well. But here is why the Kings will once-again prevail against their California counterparts
Talk about history – the Los Angeles Kings, led by Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown are seeing a familiar face in the San Jose Sharks in round one of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs.
It marks the third time the last four years the Sharks and Kings have tangoed in the playoffs.
Last year the Kings won an epic 7-game series against the Sharks in the second round before their Western Conference final ouster courtesy of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.
For the Kings (46-28-8 100PTS), playoff experience can be thrown by the wayside since the Sharks (51-22-9 111PTS) have been in the postseason 10-straight years and know the deal of playing in April.
But what you can include are three reasons why the Kings will persevere and win a series that is looking to be another seven-game clash against San Jose.
On an important note, Drew Doughty had a full practice on Tuesday and will be ready to go for the Kings on Thursday.
1) Kings have the playoff “formula”
One thing that’s apparent with playoff hockey in general – the referees swallow their whistles while defense and goaltending rules the roost.
The Kings are the best puck possessing team in the league with Quick having a 2.09 GAA and a .929 SV% in 50 career postseason games.
So even when the Kings don’t have the puck, the Jennings Trophy winners (least goals allowed in a season) are just as stout on defense and between the pipes.
Even though San Jose has more offensive firepower in Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, goaltending and a physical defense prosper in the playoffs (look at the Boston Bruins for example). And the Kings have both that are among the tops in the league.
With a potent mix of offensive talent (Kopitar, Carter and Marian Gaborik), grit (Jordan Nolan, Dwight King and Kyle Clifford) and leadership (Brown and Willie Mitchell), the Kings have what it takes to go over the top in the playoffs with this nucleus with Quick being the stopper.
2) It’s Slava Time!
Following last year’s breakout performance in the playoffs, Slava Voynov has been a man possessed ever since.
In last year’s postseason, the 24-year-old Russian had 13 points (6G 7A +6) and five of those points coming against San Jose with two assists in the deciding seventh game.
This year he has followed up his stellar playoff campaign nicely, tallying 34 points (4G 30A), good for second on the blue line (Doughty had 37).
The Kings will need him and Doughty to once again anchor the offensive production on the blue line. Matter of fact, the defense in general have to provide offensive support as they did last year in the playoffs in order for L.A to have enough support for Quick (not that he needs much anyway).
3) Marian Gaborik is the x-factor
Ever since the Kings acquired him at the trade deadline from the Columbus Blue Jackets, he’s been paired with Justin Williams and Kopitar to form quite the productive first line.
Gaborik since arriving in L.A has 16 points (5G 11A) in 19 games and has given the Kings a much-needed reinforcement on offense and someone who is hot going into this series.
But the telling statistic is that he has six points in his last four games, certainly a good sign that he is healthy and ready to give the Kings a boost against a high-powered San Jose attack.
Prediction: The Kings (defense) and Sharks (offense) represent two different spectrums. The adage of “defense wins championships” will again come into play as the Kings will grind out a seven-game series victory against the Sharks with the sole reason being Quick doing what he does best in the playoffs…
Dominate.
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