Sharks Vs. Kings, Game 3: LA Dominates With 3-0 Lead After First Period

Well, other than the Detroit Red Wings last night, it is hard to think of a better start a team has had during the first week of these Stanley Cup Playoffs than the one the Los Angeles Kings have had tonight. They lead the San Jose Sharks 3-0 after one period of play in Game 3 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series at Staples Center in a notedly riotous Los Angeles.

It started early on, when Trevor Lewis found Willie Mitchell breaking down the wing to get a wrister on Niemi that went in at 2:26. It was yet another goal from the Los Angeles defense in this series, as Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson have both struck in this series. Not only did they get it from a second-or-third pairing defenseman, but the assists came from their fourth liners in Trevor Lewis and Kevin Westgarth to make it 1-0.

13 seconds later, a trip of bottom six forwards struck again. Brad Richardson found Kyle Clifford, who’s slick backhander made it 2-0 in all of 2:39 into the game. The crowd was nuts, very un-Kenny G-like, in the wake of comments of a San Jose columnist who compared San Jose crowd to Metallica. Do Sharks fans shop at Armani too?

The Kings had a chance to really put it away early, when Nicholas Wallin went off for high-sticking Michal Handzus. at 4:46. It was a four-minute double minor, in an aspect of the game that the Kings have had success on in this series. However, the Sharks were able to kill it off and try to build some momentum. They were unable to get much going throughout the period, failing in one power play and only getting 7 shots on Jonathan Quick.

Los Angeles made the lead even bigger late in the period. Dustin Penner skate in on an abbreviated 2-on-1 with Michal Handzus. Penner had to make a back-pass by a defenseman to get it over, but he did. Handzus buried it past Antii Niemi for his first of the post-season at 18:22. The Kings have now scored seven consecutive goals in this series.