Six of the eight first-round playoff series have reached a Game 6, and now the Kings-Sharks series is among them. The Kings returned to Los Angeles last night and will practice this afternoon, while the Sharks were scheduled for an afternoon practice in San Jose followed by a flight. Here’s how last night’s Kings-Sharks game was covered in the Bay Area…
Sharks lose to Kings 3-1 in Game 5, series shifts back to Los Angeles (San Jose Mercury News)
Kings dust Sharks as Niemi departs early again (San Francisco Chronicle)
Is it me or do the Kings just sense when everyone is about to give up on them and come up with a great game. Interesting bunch. I like our future.
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variable Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:35 am
@KC23,
they are earning the well-deserved moniker “kardiac kings”, no…?!
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
@both, Agreed…I was thinking those thoughts last night when I was recalling the couple times I gave up on them and the times I was close.
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I don’t know if someone already suggested this but how bout not wearing the alternate jerseys Monday night. Pretty sure last time we won a home playoff game we were wearing black and purple!!!
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Scot Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:45 am
@Tony,
Well we won Game 3 at home last year against Vancouver, I believe wearing the current “blacks.”
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Tony Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:51 am
@Scot, Yep I think you’re right cause we’ve been wearing black for every home game
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dailymehow Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:45 am
@Tony,
We won game 3 against the Canucks in the Black and White, but 0-4 since then.
Still, point taken.
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Pond Hockey Reply:
April 25th, 2011 at 11:20 am
@dailymehow, Exactly … 1 and 4 at home in the 3rds, I’d like to see us break out our “regular” jerseys which we wear most of the year thru thick & thin anyhow
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Jkking Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:46 am
@Tony, We have not lost with the purple jersey
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Tony Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:47 am
@Jkking, So let’s wear the purple!
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DrGonzo Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
@Tony,
Couldn’t agree more!!! I despise these jerseys!.. And supposedly they will be our primaries nxt season. If there’s no RoyalPurple than what’s the point!!! Make the revised Vintage ones our primaries darnit!!!
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As the obviously less talented team skills wise, winning will be down to a combination of out coaching, working harder, & timely goaltending… The uniforms will have nothing to do with the outcome…
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Tony Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:52 am
@Kings win, Ducks lose, I know you are absolutely right!! I was just having some fun with it. That said I wish we weren’t going to the blacks as the regular jersey. I like the current black and purple home jersey!
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Happy Easter to everyone (if celebrating). Wish I could make it down to the insider suite to cheer the kings on, but I’ll be cheering just as hard from my living room.
Btw I missed the game last night. How’d parse do?
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wavesinair Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:55 am
@KH, For his first game back, I thought he played pretty well. A few hiccups, one really bad turnover that almost resulted in a goal. Statistically, he was a wash. He neither helped nor hurt overall.
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We win game six we win the series. Quick stays hot Sharks have a goalie controversy… As wise man once said “So your telling me there is a chance.”
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Dominick Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
@Cunning Plan,
Insider: liiiike 1 in a thousand, maybe?
Hot chick: More like 1 in a million.
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I forget Cliify bulling that guy out of his way to celebrate that 2nd goal. Awesome kid.
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GirlyKingsFan1986 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
@Mikey J.,
I thought that was pretty funny!
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cpmc29 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
@GirlyKingsFan1986, That was the caveman Murray. Almost knocked his helmet off. Good stuff.
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No matter whether Niemi or Niittymaki in goal Monday night, the Kings need to play the same way they did in Game 2 and stretches of Game 5. That is, disciplined and aware of the situation.
Both SJ goalies are beatable due to the fact that their dcorps will make mistakes if the Kings are willing to pay the price and pressure them down low.
At this juncture in the series, the team with the most patience will win. I expect the next game to be closer and more pressure-filled throughout – I don’t see either team going ahead by more than 1 or 2 goals. As a Kings’ fan, I’d rather see the Kings ahead during the game than SJ, but either way, the Kings need to prove to themselves that they’re able to play well with a 1-goal lead against SJ.
Once Game 6 is won in LA, a Game 7 will be a genuine pressure cooker for the hosts. I like the Kings’ chances in a Game 7. Having won the last 2 games there, the Kings will come in confident and loose, while the Sharks will be squeezing the stick.
First thing first, though, need to get the Kings’ top lines perked up for better scoring balance and possession in the SJ zone. I’d like to see Williams with the same energy he showed in Game 1 and Brown to play a bit more practical with the puck. Though he’s been delivering big hits, the puck and Brown’s stick have just not gotten along lately and he’s coughed it up several times in critical areas. Would love to see a power move to the net once or twice Monday! Smyth is starting to resemble his old self, Stoll was on a mission and played well (15 of 17 FOs won!), Lewis was Lewis, Zeus was Zeus, and Penner might have found himself. Westgarth was okay except for the hook, but I’d rather see Moller personally. I don’t think either team will risk taking penalties by being chippy at this point in the series.
Richardson, Simmonds, and Clifford are the toast of the town and together with JQ, the reason why this team is still in it. I still don’t undertand TM’s decisions to not play Richardson for several games in the regular season. I guess his game is better suited to playoff hockey! Kyle is having a grand coming out party!
The Dmen need to stabilize their games too. After a forgettable Game 4, Martinez redeemed himself last game. Mitchell, Scuderi, and Greene are the defensive anchors and except for Greene’s propensity for penalties, this group make JQ’s life bearable.
JMFJ played well recently except for a series of 3 decisions that I take exception to in the last few minutes of the game in which he needs to remember the situation and make the right play. DD made only 1 boneheaded play with his spin-o-rama that resulted in Marleau’s goal, otherwise, he was okay.
The big change that I saw in Game 5 was the team coming back to playing coherently with support on both sides of the puck. Need to improve on transitioning out of the defensive zone to minimize the Sharks pressure in deep and prevent their breakouts also by playing smart in the neutral and offensive zones.
I really feel that the Kings have a better than 50/50 chance of winning this series.
Go Kings Go!!!!
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wavesinair Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
@FdoFmFull,
On this easter morning, I’m putting all my eggs in one basket…Quick’s basket.
I’ll go out on a limb and say he won’t give up 6 goals tomorrow night. He won’t be left twisting in the wind yet again and he’ll can employ some jedi mind tricks on a shark or two.
Steal another one Johnny, steal away. We all know you can.
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Dominick Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
@FdoFmFull,
Stoll was the master last night in the face off circle. Before he lost his last draw he was 15 and 1. Richardson is having a coming out party of sorts during these playoffs. He’s currently tied for the scorng lead umongst the Kings for these playoffs, and leads all Kings in shots on goal.
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22-52. The shots tell me that the Kings didn’t dominate. One thing that did change was that the Kings took away a lot of second and third chance opportunities on Quick. The quality was still there, but for the most part they were strait ahead shots that Quick could be square for. Some absolute heroeics when Quick was down, but he was still in front of the shots.
The 2 games where Quick surrendered 6 twice, the shots were from players off to the side, and Quick while respecting the shooter, had no chance on the offset shooter, or any deflections. As long as the Kings can keep the shots coming strait at Quick, and slow down players driving to the net to give Quick a chance to corall any rebounds we’ll take game 6.
Another scary trend was watching San Jose constantly skate out of the corner to the left side of Quick uncontested, and try to shoot for that farside corner of the net, or get a cross seam pass off. Maybe the player in front can activate earlier to cut him off, while someone else switches to the front of the net. Just a thought.
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wavesinair Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
@Dominick,
…or to put it another way…unlike game 4 where no bounces went the Kings way, in game 5, almost all the bounces went the Kings way. SJ had multiple prime opportunities that could have easily went in if not for the puck bandit quick stealing the game.
But point taken. As Brown put it also, they gotta cut down on those prime, grade A scoring chances.
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Dominick Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
@wavesinair,
Can’t stress enough how many great goalies attribute their success in a large part to lucky bounces. Hopefully Quick see’s a lot more as time goes on. Sometimes luck just follows certain guys.
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Hi Rich-
I was wondering if you know if the Kings will be practicing and/or having a pre-game skate tomorrow at TSC, and, if so, what time? Thank you!
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wavesinair Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
@GirlyKingsFan1986, or practice today…??
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GirlyKingsFan1986 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
@wavesinair,
I saw that they are having practice today, but I’m wondering about tomorrow. Can’t make it down to TSC today, but I figure they usually have something the day of a game, and I’d be able to go tomorrow. I’ll wait and see what Rich says
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wavesinair Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
@GirlyKingsFan1986, Ahh, I see that too now. Thanks! No time though…
GirlyKingsFan1986 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
@wavesinair-
Yeah, I’m hoping they have something tomorrow because I don’t work and it’d be nice to watch my boys just once more time!
GirlyKingsFan1986 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
@GirlyKingsFan1986,
*One more time
Haha!
wavesinair Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Game day is usually an optional skate at this time of year. It may be mandatory tomorrow though. So yes, if it stays the same, there will be a pre-game skate at TSC. No idea on the time.
GirlyKingsFan1986 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
@wavesinair,
I live like 5 minutes from TSC, so either way, I’m going to go and see tomorrow
Hope Matt Greene is watching the Flyer game right now. Dan Carcillo takes an ‘ill advised’ (thats a euphemism for words we can’t use here) penalty w his team facing elimination and already down 1-0 in this game. Puck in the net….. down 2-0 now vs Ryan Miller.
Yeah, that’s not too smart Dan. I’m somebody who still doesn’t care for the Flyers franchise and what that franchise represented for so long. So no tears on my end.
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vplaza Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
@number 6,
Agreed. Very surprising to see this from him. Trying to do to much, maybe?
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Green needs to stay out of box he is killing us.
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Dominick Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
@Cunning Plan,
He’s playing mean and nasty right now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hopefully he doesn’t get caught as much next game. The hosers who called the game for Versus kept calling on Greene for cross checking and twice had to retract when they showed the replay, and Green just made a good play. I think everybody is watching him, and are well of his reputation as a hardnosed defenseman, so when there’s a chance for a penalty, Green doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt.
With everybody watching so close, he’ll have to be careful of the even up calls. But by all means make’em pay Greener.
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number 6 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
@Dominick,
Sorry Dom. Disagree. You can play very hardnosed without taking a high sticking penalty at a crucial moment and then following it up a minute later with a second. There is a big difference imo.
One goal on the first of the two and the Sharks could have tied it up. You never know. Easy to say after the fact.
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Dominick Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
@number 6, The timing was ill advised, but I don’t think Green was trying to do it. He won’t change his game, it’s how he plays. All you can really hope for is that he’s more aware that he’s being watched. If we’re going to get calls against, I can except a few agressive penalties instead of a hooking penalty in the offensive zone. No matter what were going to get a call, might as well be for being a bastard.
Where’s Purdy’s column from the Bay Area ? Or does he only write when the Sharks win or he wants to break out a tired, been there, done that “beat up on LA” rant ?
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