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 Two third-period, power-play goals by center Joe Pavelski rallied
the Sharks to a 5-3 victory over the Kings at Staples Center.
Pavelski scored twice in a span of 92 seconds as the Sharks snapped
the Kings' seven-game home winning streak. Pavelski, who also had an
assist, scored the tying goal at 6:06 of the third and the
game-winner at 7:38.
Goaltender Martin Jones, a former King, stopped 33 shots, including
some crucial ones in the final period, to help San Jose (17-15-2)
ended a two-game skid. The second-place Sharks also closed within
six points of the Pacific Division-leading Kings (20-11-2).
San Jose erased a 3-1 deficit.
"We know it's a 60-minute game," said Pavelski, who leads the Sharks
with 18 goals. "We played a good 40 (minutes) the other night
against Toronto, and we saw where it gets you. You have to play a
complete game, and if you can hang in there, which at times (Jones)
allowed us to do that ...
"We found some success on the power play and ended up tying it up
and taking the lead."
Defenseman Brent Burns also scored two goals, adding an empty-netter
with 1:10 left in the third. Sharks center Joe Thornton had a goal
and two assists.
"It's huge," Thornton said of the win. "We kind of tightened the gap
between us two teams."
Goalie Jonathan Quick recorded 18 saves for the Kings, who lost for
the fourth time in five games, but this setback was clearly a tough
one to digest.
Kings center Tyler Toffoli scored twice in defeat.
"These last couple of games, we've given up a lot of goals, and
that's not our type of hockey," said Toffoli, who registered his
team-high fifth multi-point game and posted his club-high 14th goal.
"We need to find a way back to shutting things down and refocus and
be ready to play on the 26th."
Toffoli scored his first goal at 1:40 of the first period, fielding
the puck inside the left circle following a and slapping a winner
past Jones for a 1-0 lead.
King center Trevor Lewis scored his third goal of the season,
redirecting a shot by winger Dustin Brown for a 2-0 advantage at
4:32 of the first.
The Sharks cut the deficit to a goal when Thornton tallied his sixth
of the season in unusual fashion. A blast near the blue line by
defenseman Brenden Dillon ricocheted off the stick of Pavelski and
then bounced off Thornton's stick and into the net at 12:12 of the
first.
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Toffoli delivered again with 2:12 remaining in the second period. He
was on the receiving end of an outstanding pass on a rush with left
winger Tanner Pearson for a 3-1 Los Angeles lead. However, that
would cap the Kings' scoring.
Burns pulled San Jose within a goal again with his 13th goal of the
season, rocketing a shot past Quick 57 seconds later.
"The Toffoli goal late in the second period should've been enough,
and to give that goal up on a bad play along the boards to make it
3-2 was, in the end, the difference," Kings coach Darryl Sutter
said.
San Jose has won both contests between the teams at Staples this
season. And as much as the first one was sweet in the debut of
Sharks coach Peter DeBoer, Tuesday's win was special, too.
"I thought it was a real gutsy effort by us," DeBoer said. "We
almost got pushed out of the game in the first (period), and we
regrouped between the first and the second. Good things happen when
you come out and compete."
NOTES: San Bernardino Mayor Corey Davis and members of the city's
police department were recognized before the contest. ... Los
Angeles outshot San Jose 21-6 after one period, 26-15 after two and
36-23 overall. ... Kings LW Tanner Pearson played his 100th career
game, and he finished with two assists. ... Neither club has ever
swept the season series. ... The Sharks scratched C Logan Couture,
RW Joel Ward and D Matt Tennyson. D Derek Forbort and C Jordan Weal
were unavailable for the Kings. ... The final two regular-season
meetings will be Jan. 24 and March 28, both at San Jose. ... The
Sharks begin a five-game homestand Monday against the Colorado
Avalanche. ... Los Angeles, which completed a six-game swing before
Tuesday's game, hits the road again for four contests, beginning
Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes.
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