The third period between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks began with the Kings leading 1-0 thanks to a goal late in the second period from Anze Kopitar, and they extended their lead to 2-0 just 53 seconds into the third on a goal from Slava Voynov:
Sharks vs. Kings Game 5 recap: San Jose can’t beat Quick
Jonathan Quick held down the fort in the third and the Kings beat the Sharks 3-0 to take a 3-2 series lead.
The teams traded power-play opportunities in the third period, but neither was able to convert. San Jose. The Sharks had more scoring chances and shots in the third than in the earlier periods as the Kings dropped back defensively to protect their lead, but nothing got past Jonathan Quick all night long.
The Kings added an empty-net goal late in the game from Mike Richards, and won by the final score of 3-0.
Let’s look at the three big questions we were tracking in Game 5:
Do the Kings keep their perfect record intact at Staples Center?
The Kings defended Staples yet again, and improved to 6-0 in Los Angeles this post-season.
Is Joe Thornton going to continue being great?
Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, and Logan Couture, three of San Jose's best players in the prior games of the series, were all on the ice for at least one of the Kings' goals. Not an impressive performance from any of them.
Who wins the elite goaltending battle?
Antti Niemi had more work early in the game to keep the Sharks in the contest when the Kings were dictating the play, but it was Jonathan Quick who ended up with the shutout at the end of the night.
Game 6 is on Sunday in San Jose.
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