San Jose 6, Los Angeles 5
When: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Referees:
Stephen Walkom, Brian Pochmara
Linesmen:
Vaughan Rody, Paul Devorski
Attendance:
18330
By SportsDirect Inc.
SHARKS 6, KINGS 5 (SO): Joe Pavelski scored the lone goal in the shootout as San Jose pulled even in points with Los Angeles atop the Pacific Division.
Both teams clinched a playoff berth before the game was decided when Dallas lost in Nashville.
Captain Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe each had a goal and an assist, Jason Demers and Martin Havlat also tallied and Antti Niemi made 31 saves for the Sharks, who are seeking their fifth straight division title. The teams conclude the regular season in San Jose on Saturday.
Justin Williams scored twice, captain Dustin Brown and defenseman Alec Martinez added a goal and an assist apiece and Anze Kopitar and blue-liner Willie Mitchell each collected three assists for the Kings, who were 4 for 7 on the power play while allowing three man-advantage tallies.
Pavelski gave San Jose the edge when he beat Jonathan Quick high to the glove side in the second round of the shootout. Niemi then denied Kopitar, giving the Sharks their sixth win in eight games.
Los Angeles built a 3-1 lead on power-play goals by Martinez and Jarret Stoll as well as an even-strength tally by Brown. San Jose drew even as Thornton cashed in during a man advantage with 28 seconds remaining in the second period and Clowe converted a partial breakaway 70 seconds into the third.
The teams proceeded to make each other pay for committing penalties.
Williams and Marleau scored 61 seconds apart before Havlat gave the Sharks their first lead of the night with 7:23 left. Williams converted a 5-on-3 opportunity with 3 1/2 minutes to go, again tying the contest while completing his third two-goal performance of the season.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Clowe had an eventful evening, participating in a pair of fights while touching the puck with his stick while on the bench late in the third to stall a rush by the Kings. The officials did not witness the illegal move, which went unpunished. ... Kopitar has collected 11 points during his five-game streak. ... Stoll's goal was his first since Jan. 9, ending a 33-game drought. ... Marleau scored for just the second time in 15 contests.
Top Game Performances
| San Jose |
|
Los Angeles |
|
Ryane Clowe 2 |
Points |
Anze Kopitar 3 |
|
Ryane Clowe 1 |
Goals |
Justin Williams 2 |
|
Ryane Clowe 1 |
Assists |
Anze Kopitar 3 |
|
Patrick Marleau 1 |
Power Play Goals |
Justin Williams 2 |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Antti Niemi .861 |
Save Percentage |
Jonathan Quick .839 |
|
Antti Niemi 31 |
Saves |
Jonathan Quick 26 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| San Jose
|
31 |
6 |
3-6 |
3-7 |
31 |
31 |
| Los Angeles
|
36 |
5 |
4-7 |
3-6 |
32 |
36 |
Upcoming Games
-
Los Angeles will play their next game on the road against San Jose. The Kings have a W/L % of .425 after a win and .561 after a loss.
-
San Jose will play their next game at home against Los Angeles. The Sharks have a W/L % of .537 after a win and .500 after a loss.
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