The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks had two of the stingiest defenses in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they've lived up to that billing at the start of the next round. The teams were scoreless for most of the first period in Game 1 until Slava Voynov gave the Kings a 1-0 lead with 12.9 seconds left.
Kings vs. Sharks Game 1 update: Slava Voynov scores at end of first period
Voynov gave the Kings a 1-0 lead after scoring with 12.9 seconds remaining.
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The teams kept shots low at eight apiece, requiring just a few big saves from goaltenders Jonathan Quick and Antti Niemi.
Voynov's goal came on a breakdown after a faceoff in the Kings zone. The Sharks actually won the faceoff, but no one retrieved the puck until Kings center Mike Richards picked it up and carried it to the Sharks zone.
Richards dropped the puck for Voynov, who had an open lane to blast a slapshot over Niemi’s shoulder.
Say this for both teams: they were working. The teams were hitting plenty, staying out of the penalty box, keeping shots down and, when necessary, gathering a posse to try to retrieve the puck out of the corner:
One, two, three, four, five -- yes, five Sharks all below the faceoff circle there.
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