Kings Need Big Turnaround Down 2-0 against the Sharks

The first round of the NHL playoffs are underway and the Los Angeles Kings find themselves in a huge hole already. The Kings are down 2-0 against the San Jose Sharks and now must find a way to claw back into the series.

Through the first two games of this Western Conference quarterfinals series, the San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns, Martin Jones and Joe Pavelski are all outplaying their Kings’ counterparts.

The Kings will need to ride the shoulders of Anze Kopitar if they hope to come back from their two-game deficit.

Kopitar admitted on Saturday night following the team’s second straight loss to the Sharks that he had to step up his game and bring 100% on Monday in Game 3.

In his two Stanley Cup finals wins with the Kings, Kopitar has been clutch, but after two games in this series, the team and its fans are waiting for him to show up.

Until Kopitar shows up, Los Angeles will be mired in offensive quicksand. After two games, the Kings have scored just one goal on even strength.

Darryl Sutter the head coach of the Kings said Kopitar and his fellow teammates are not getting off enough shots.

As for the Sharks, the top line of Joe Thornton, Tomas Hertl and Pavelski is tearing up the series. Pavelski has scored three times in the first two games.

If history is any indication, you can expect the Kings to come back stronger in Game 3. To start, it must begin with more of a presence in front of Jones in goal.

The former backup goalie for the Kings is having an easy time thus far, as the Kings are not making their presence felt clogging up the crease.

Milan Lucic a winger for Los Angeles stressed that the team needed to get more guys to the Sharks net and fight through their box outs to have more second and third shot opportunities.

The Kings were frustrated on Saturday night and that would be understandable considering San Jose has won five of the seven games the two teams have played head to head this season.

San Jose has won each of the four games this season played at the Kings’ Staples Center in Los Angeles.

With the best of seven series moving to San Jose on Monday, the Kings know the game will be a make or break one for them. If they can win, they are back in the series, but a loss puts them on the brink of elimination making them need to win four straight to move on to the next round.