Kings Vs. Sharks, Game 1: Joe Pavelski Wins It In Overtime For The Sharks

The San Jose Sharks scored on the first and last shifts of this game. They won Game 1 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series with the Los Angeles Kings. Joe Pavelski got the winner at 14:44 of the fourth period to win it, 3-2.

On the first shift of the series, the Sharks went with a line of Dany Heatley, Ryan Clowe and Logan Couture. Ian White fed Clowe, who wristed one on goal. The initial shot was stopped by Jonathan Quick, but Heatley found the rebound and backhanded it past the Los Angeles netminder. It was Heatley’s 13th career playoff goal at only 28 seconds of the first period. The Kings were out-shot by the Sharks 14-3 in the first period, with Quick being one of the only things keeping them in it.

Things changed a bit in the second. At 6:10, Nicholas Wallin flipped the puck into the stands and took the dreaded delay of game penalty. The Kings power play started fairly unsuccessfully. Logan Couture found himself with an odd-man break down the wing, though he missed the net wide, to the point where it bounced all the way out to Justin Williams. The just-returned forward carried it in a head of steam in a 3-on-1. He quickly fed it to Dustin Brown, who ripped a one-timer past Niemi to tie the game at 7:25. The Kings are now 1-for-3 on the man advantage.

Couture made up for it minutes later with a goal of his own. He made a rush through the neutral zone, and then undressed Drew Doughty. He scooted by and took it short side to Jonathan Quick. It just escaped through the Kings’ goaltender, and the Sharks had the one-goal lead back at 10:23. It was the first real big mistake of the night for Quick, who had been stellar for the first half of the game. It was Ryan Clowe’s second assist of the game.

The Kings continued to be dominated through most of the rest of the period, but a gift brought them back to life. A three-man skirmish behind the net saw the puck bounce right to Williams. Antii Niemi was out of position, and had no idea where the puck was. Williams backhand-wraparounded it to the short side, and tied the game at to with 3:40 to go in the period. A gift, for sure, but a huge emotional boost to the Kings. They ended the period hounding the Kings and having control of the offensive play on a 4-on-4 late in the second.

The Kings started well in the third, getting a two-on-one at about two minutes in that set up Kyle Clifford with an open chance, but somehow Niemi came across the netmouth to make the save. It was the Stanley Cup-winning goaltender’s best save of the night. Niemi is the only goaltender in the Western Conference bracket with a Stanley Cup ring, and one of only two (Marc-Andre Fleury) in the entire tournament to be a part of a champion. That could prove helpful as the playoffs go on.

The Kings dominated possession for most of the third period, as the Sharks spent the first 12 minutes of the third period with only one shot on the board. The Kings didn’t get that much more in the way of shots, but they were clearly the more dangerous team. They were winning the races to loose pucks, getting takeaways, and shutting down the Sharks’ play-making forwards. Other than that Clifford chance, though, this period of dominance didn’t amount to too many great scoring chances.

At 17:49, Drew Doughty took down Kyle Wellwood, which would’ve created a Kings scoring chance. It was called a trip, and the Sharks were given just their second power play. Once again, the regular season’s second-best power play was matched against the league’s fourth best penalty kill, and at this point, it was for the Kings survival in this game. Dany Heatley got an open chance from the high slot that was denied by Quick. That was the best chance they would get, and the Kings made it to overtime.

The overtime period began, as many have in the past, with a trading of the best chances the teams could get, and then it started to slow. Brad Richardson had the best of these chances early, getting the rebound of a Kyle Clifford shot with some open net to shoot at, but he couldn’t quite get the angle, plus the fighting off by Antii Niemi was able to keep the game tied.

The Sharks got a couple of good chances over their own, but nothing that close in the early going on Jonathan Quick. With 6:18 left in overtime, Patrick Marleau was able to win a foot-race with Drew Doughty and bring it open down the wing. He got off a good shot, but Quick was up to the test yet again and able to cover it up. He made another great save on a deflection on the next shift.

And then Joe Pavelski struck yet again. After a relatively quiet game, he scored the winner for San Jose. Kyle Wellwood, tired from the end of a shift, he still made his way up the ice while Ryan Clowe drove to the net. He found a trailing Pavelski who ripped a wrister past Quick, who was screened by his own defender, to win it for San Jose. It was yet another clutch moment in what’s quickly turning into a great young playoff career for the young American. It was his third career playoff-winner, and it gave the Sharks a huge victory in Game 1.