Kings Vs. Sharks, Game 1: Justin Williams In For L.A. As They Try To Upset San Jose

Though they've been California rivals for 20 years, tonight will mark the first time that the Los Angeles Kings will meet the San Jose Sharks in a playoff game. Game 1 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series will take place later tonight at the Shark Tank in San Jose. The two teams tied the regular season series at three wins apiece.

The big news tonight for the Kings is that forward Justin Williams is returning to the Los Angeles lineup tonight, and will play on the top line with Ryan Smyth and Jarret Stoll. Though the Kings are still without Anze Kopitar -- likely a focal point of any talk about the Kings chances this spring -- Williams is a solid addition to the lineup, and will hopefully help the Kings power play get in shape. Williams was the team's second-leading scorer in the regular season, with 22 goals and 57 points.

The Kings will look to get scoring from their defense and secondary players. With Stoll moving up to the top line, he'll have to do better than his 43 points this season, while more will be required out of guys like Dustin Penner, Ryan Smyth, Wayne Simmonds and Alexei Ponikarovsky. They'll be looking to get points from defensemen Jack Johnson -- who was second on the team in assists -- and Drew Doughty. Jonathan Quick, as expected, will start in goal for Los Angeles.

With every playoff season beginning, the question for the San Jose Sharks is always "Will Joe Thornton show up?" as the Sharks hope their biggest star can be a presence in the post-season, as he was during last year's Western Conference Final run. Joe Pavelski is another player to look out for, as he was enormous during that run past Colorado and Detroit last season. Antii Niemi, a key factor in the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup run last season, will start as expected for the Sharks.