The San Jose Sharks have ridden very quietly into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the No. 3 seed -- in fact, people have been talking about how quietly they've been doing it for so long, they've almost not been doing it quietly at all. That said, after a positive Conference Final run last season and yet another great regular season, one can't help but wonder if this is the year that the Sharks sneak up and bite everyone.
NHL Playoffs 2011, Kings Vs. Sharks: Can L.A. Challenge Without Anze Kopitar?
Down in Southern California, the Los Angeles Kings have been a popular pick to make the leap from mere playoff visitors to bona fide contenders, yet here they are, again, starting out as a low seed. They made very few additions to the cast that lost in six games to Vancouver in 2010, and they've lost Anze Kopitar for what is likely the entire 2011 playoffs to boot.
This is the first time these two teams have ever faced off in the postseason -- and only the second all-California playoff series in history -- after a season series that split three to three (though the Kings won a couple of games in a shootout). It figures to be a series worth staying up for, East Coasters.
Goaltending
Jonathan Quick has continued his development into a very solid, No. 1 goaltender in the National Hockey League. He posted 35 wins, a 2.24 goals against average (sixth best in the NHL) and a .918 save percentage in the 2010-11 season. He has secured his place as the Kings starting goaltender, though Jonathan Bernier is a very good understudy. Make no mistake, however, Los Angeles will live and die on the 25-year old's performance, and he may very well have to steal one for the Kings to have a shot.
Antii Niemi has also proven himself a No. 1 goaltender, and not just a fluke who rode a loaded Blackhawks team to a Stanley Cup last year. Niemi also posted 35 wins, as well as a 2.38 GAA and a .920 save percentage. He will have to remain solid should the Sharks want to advance. Evgeni Nabakov was a big part of the Sharks run in 2010 and Niemi will have to at least duplicate Nabakov's numbers. If he can't, don't be shocked to see Antero Niitymaki get a shot, as he played 24 games this season. I like Quick a little bit more than Niemi, despite the Cup win.
The edge goes to Los Angeles.
Forwards
The Sharks, in the vein of the Washington Capitals, sacrificed a lot of their big names' point totals for more of a commitment to defense this season. Joe Thornton (89 to 70), Patrick Marleau (83 to 73) and Dany Heatley (82 to 64) all saw big time drops in points to commit more to the defensive game. That said, other contributors shone through for the San Jose offense: Joe Pavelski had a career year after an excellent playoff run. Ryan Clowe produced his best season. Logan Couture will compete for the Calder Trophy with a 30-goal season.
While a pall may hang over the Kings offense without the 73-point season of Kopitar, they are certainly not neutered by it. What they lack in star-power, they make up for with a bunch of gritty forwards, with a few who are playoff-tested.
Justin Williams has started skating again and may return soon. Dustin Brown seems like the type of player the Stanley Cup Playoffs are made for, waiting to come up huge - if only a big moment would show up for him. Ryan Smyth has done this dance many times.
Jarret Stoll went to the '06 Final with Smyth and the Oilers. It'll be up to their secondary scoring (Wayne Simmonds, Michal Handzus, Alex Ponikarovsky) to match the Sharks if they want to win the series. If they can't get anything from their bottom six, they'll be out quickly. San Jose has an edge.
Defense
The Kings defense boasts two young 40-point scorers in Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty, though Johnson went minus-21 this season, which may suggest he's a liability on the back-end. It'll be up to those two to make up for some of the scoring Kopitar would typically get as well. Rob Scuderi is a battle-tested rock, while Matt Greene can step up and play a mean game. If Willie Mitchell stays healthy, he could make his presence felt in this series. Despite missing 25 games, he set a career high for goals.
On the Sharks side, they have Dan Boyle, who hit 50 points again this season, and is a Stanley Cup winner. Ian White may have been the most underrated acquisition at the trade deadline. Jason Demers is a young defender who went +19 and put up 22 assists. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Douglas Murray are solid defensive defensemen. Both sides are very similar. A couple of guys that can put up points, at least one solid shutdown d-man, and some guys that, if they step up, can be a factor.
It’s a push.
Special Teams
The Sharks were impressive again on the power play, as their 23.5 percent average was tied for second-best in the NHL. The Kings struggled in man advantage situations, hitting on only 16.1 percent of their chances, good for only 21st in the circuit, and 13th among playoff teams.
It is almost a complete reversal on the penalty kill. Los Angeles was a terrific 85.5 percent at killing off penalties, good for fourth best in the league. The Sharks finished a mediocre 24th when in disadvantaged situations. The shorthanded goals statistic is somewhat surprising, as the Sharks have a 6-4 advantage over the Kings in that statistic. It’ll be interesting to see how the strong power play of San Jose matches with the strong penalty kill of Los Angeles, and the opposite on the penalty kill.
Another push.
Series Schedule
Game 1: Thurs., April 14 at 10 p.m.
Game 2: Sat., April 16 at 10 p.m.
Game 3: Tues., April 19 at 10:30 p.m.
Game 4: Thurs., April 21 at 10:30 p.m.
Game 5*: Sat., April 23 at 10:30 p.m.
Game 6*: Mon., April 25 at TBD
Game 7*: Wed., April 27 at TBD
Jewels From The Crown has the story from the Los Angeles perspective, while our Sharks blog, Fear The Fin, has you covered from Northern California. If you’re into the whole rivalry thing, be sure to check out SB Nation’s Battle of California.
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