Game 1 Preview: Los Angeles at San Jose

(3) Los Angeles Kings (0-0) at (2) San Jose Sharks (0-0)
Thursday, April 17, 2014, 7:30 p.m. PT
SAP Center, San Jose, CA
Referees: #34 Brad Meier, #11 Kelly Sutherland
Linesmen: #94 Bryan Pancich, #57 Jay Sharrers
FOX Sports West, NBCSN, CBC, KEIB 1150 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2013-14 Playoffs: 0 GP (0 GS) / 0-0 record / 0.00 GAA / .000 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career, Playoffs: 50 (50) / 29-21 / 2.03 / .929 / 7
Versus San Jose, Playoffs: 13 (13) / 6-7 / 2.25 / .931 / 3
Last Playoff Game vs San Jose: 5/28/13 / 60 MP / 25-26 shots / 2-1 W

San Jose Projected Starting Goaltender – Antti Niemi
2013-14 Playoffs: 0 GP (0 GS) / 0-0-0 record / 0.00 GAA / .000 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career, Playoffs: 56 (56) / 32-23 / 2.65 / .909 / 2
Versus Los Angeles, Playoffs: 13 (13) / 7-6 / 2.74 / .897 / 0
Last Playoff Game vs Los Angeles: 5/28/13 / 58 MP / 16-18 shots / 1-2 L

2013-14 Los Angeles Leaders (regular season)
Total Points: Anze Kopitar (29-41=70)
Goals: Anze Kopitar (29-41=70)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (29-41=70)
Plus/Minus: Anze Kopitar (+34; 29-41=70)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (81; 3-5=8)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (25:42; 10-27=37)

2013-14 San Jose Leaders (regular season)
Total Points: Joe Pavelski (41-38=79)
Goals: Joe Pavelski (41-38=79)
Assists: Joe Thornton (11-65=76)
Plus/Minus: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (+31; 5-19=24)
Penalty Minutes: Andrew Desjardins (86; 3-14=17)
Time On Ice: Dan Boyle (21:16; 12-24=36)

Rankings and Statistics (regular season)
Goals/Game: LAK – 26 / 2.42; SJS – t-6 / 2.92
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 2.05; SJS – 5 / 2.35
Power Play: LAK – 27 / 15.1%; SJS – t-19 / 17.2%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 11 / 83.1%; SJS – 6 / 84.9%
Shots/Game: LAK – 7 / 31.6; SJS – 1 / 34.8
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 2 / 26.2; SJS – 6 / 27.8
Faceoffs: LAK – t-2 / 52.8%; SJS – t-2 / 52.8%
Save Percentage: LAK – 2 / .922; SJS – t-7 / .915

Los Angeles Projected Lineup

Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Dwight King – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter
Tyler Toffoli – Jarret Stoll – Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford – Trevor Lewis – Jordan Nolan

Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Robyn Regehr – Slava Voynov
Willie Mitchell – Alec Martinez

Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones

Level of confidence in projected lines: B+. Jonathan Quick left the ice first, not that there was any question whether he’d start. Tanner Pearson and Linden Vey remained on for extra work and are not expected to play tonight. Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell left the ice at relatively the same time, though given recent pairings, it is expected that Mitchell and Martinez will be paired together, and Greene will be the odd-man out. Don’t be surprised to see any number of the three extra skaters take part in warm-ups.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 6-7 all-time against San Jose in the playoffs, a mark that includes a road record of 2-4. The Kings have lost all four overtime games to the Sharks in their shared playoff history. … Los Angeles is 94-126 all-time in the playoffs, though they are 25-13 in their last 38 games and have won six of their last seven playoff series. … The Kings are 17-26 all-time in Game 1s, though they have won five of their last seven. They are 11-6 in series when winning a Game 1 and 6-20 in series when losing a Game 1. … In best-of-seven series without home ice advantage, the Kings have won 11 of 28 playoff series. … Los Angeles has a combined 1,009 games of playoff experience and a total of 17 Stanley Cups. 16 players were on Los Angeles’ roster during their 2012 Cup run. … Last season, five of eight teams that opened the playoffs on the road ended up advancing to the second round. … Since the 2012 playoffs, Jonathan Quick is 25-13 with a 1.62 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. He is the Kings’ all-time playoff record holder in wins (29), GAA (2.03), Sv% (.929) and shutouts (7). His 1.94 goals-against average on the road in the playoffs since 2009 is tied for the best in the NHL with Henrik Lundqvist. … Anze Kopitar ranks ninth all-time in franchise playoff scoring with 34 points (13-21=34) in 44 games. He trails Bernie Nicholls (16-21=37) and Tony Granato (13-24=37), who are tied for seventh place, by three points. … Kings with playoff overtime game-winning goals include Anze Kopitar (2), Jarret Stoll (2), Slava Voynov, Marian Gaborik and Jeff Carter. … Darryl Sutter ranks eighth in NHL history with 139 games coached and is tied for 11th place with St. Louis’ Ken Hitchcock with 72 playoff wins.

San Jose Projected Lines

Joe Pavelski – Joe Thornton – Brent Burns
Patrick Marleau – Logan Couture – Matt Nieto
Tomas Hertl – James Sheppard – Tommy Wingels
Raffi Torres – Andrew Desjardins – Marty Havlat

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Jason Demers
Justin Braun – Brad Stuart
Scott Hannan – Dan Boyle

Antti Niemi
Alex Stalock

Notes and milestones: Since the 2004 postseason, only Detroit’s total of 21 playoff series surpass San Jose’s total of 19. The Red Wings and Sharks are the only NHL teams to have made the playoffs in each of the last 10 seasons. … San Jose is 15-15 all-time in Game 1s and has won two consecutive Game 1s at home. … Including playoffs, 12 of the last 34 games between the Kings and Sharks have required overtime. … Including playoffs, home teams are 20-1-1 in the last 22 games between these two teams. … San Jose has a combined 1,259 games of postseason experience and five Stanley Cups (Brad Stuart, Dan Boyle, Adam Burish, Tyler Kennedy and Antti Niemi). … Sharks with playoff overtime game-winning goals include Patrick Marleau (3), Joe Pavelski (3), Logan Couture, Joe Thornton and Raffi Torres. … Antti Niemi is 11-2 in playoff overtimes with a 0.89 goals-against average and .970 save percentage, having stopped 65 of 67 shots.