A defensive battle?

For a team facing the San Jose Sharks, there’s rarely any mystery. The Sharks will shoot a lot and often score a lot also. The Kings, under Terry Murray, have prided themselves on attempting to limit opponents’ shot totals. Which side will win out? The Sharks come into the game averaging 35.6 shots on goal per game, by far the highest margin in the NHL. The Kings rank seventh in opponents’ shots on goal, allowing an average of 28.1 per game, but Murray knows his team is in for a challenge, particularly against San Jose’s top line of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley.

MURRAY: “They’re very skilled, a lot of speed. They put a lot of pucks to the net. Joe Thornton makes those great plays — and he has, throughout his whole career — from the back of the net, from below the goal line. We’re going to have to be on top of our checking game tonight.”

Not to be overlooked is the fact that the Sharks are also one of the league’s best teams in limiting opponents’ shots. The Sharks are allowing an average of 27.2 shots, fifth-best in the NHL, while the Kings are averaging 28.7 shots, which puts them 23rd in the league. That’s why Sharks coach Todd McLellan said he wouldn’t put excessive emphasis on trying to get the better of the Kings’ defense.

MCLELLAN: “I don’t want that to be the sole focus of our hockey team, because they can do a lot of damage in the offensive zone as well. When they’re playing that good defensively, if you give them two or three free ones, you have no chance of winning. So I want our commitment level, in the defensive zone, to be real high. I want us to stay out of the penalty box. I want us to be very competitive in areas where we need to be. Then we’ll worry about the offense after that.”