Will it be a `race to three’?

In the NHL, sometimes it’s called “the race to three,’’ the theory being that in a tight defensive game, three goals will be enough to win. As for tonight’s game, San Jose coach Todd McLellan said, “It may be a race to two.’’ That was McLellan’s nod to the Kings’ defense and goaltending, but McLellan might be sandbagging a bit, given that his Sharks have scored at least three regulation goals in seven of their 12 games, and have scored at least four goals in three games. The Kings have scored two or fewer regulation goals in 11 of their 13 games. Sharks forward Patrick Marleau also weighed in on whether this would be a “race to three’’ game…

MARLEAU: “Most games are these days. They have a lot of firepower, so it’s only a matter of time before things start going their way. On our side, we have a lot of firepower too. That being said, it’s going to be a defensive battle, to limit each other’s opportunities.’’

MCLELLAN: “It may be a race to two, the way L.A. is playing and the way Quick is playing. They’re that good defensively. I think a lot of people will talk about them offensively, their big bodies and the way they roll around, but they’re an elite defensive team right now, and it could be a race to two.’’

Question: With the amount of talent the Kings have, do you approach it like it’s only a matter of time before they start scoring?

MCLELLAN: “Well, I think that’s probably the way they will approach it. I think they’ve got a hell of a team, some very good forwards, but when you’re only giving up two (goals) a night, you can afford to struggle on offense and still win some games. It’s a very good team over there, one of the best, I think, we will play during the year. They’re big, strong, their goaltender is playing well. There are so many good things about them that if we don’t show up with the `A’ game for more than three-quarters of a night, we’re going to be in trouble.’’