Sharks Win Back-To-Back Top LA Kings
Jones the difference-maker in second straight game
Los Angeles Kings left wing Carl Grundstrom, middle, reaches for the puck between San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, left, and right wing Timo Meier (28) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2021.03.24 – Martin Jones made 42 saves to stymie Los Angeles for a second straight game, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Kings 4-2 on Wednesday night.
Jones followed up a 41-save performance in a 2-1 win Monday with another sharp effort to become the first Sharks goalie with at least 40 saves in consecutive games since Arturs Irbe in 1993, according to SportRadar.
After getting pulled five times in his first 15 starts this year, Jones has allowed just five goals on 147 shots in his past four.
“This is probably the best I’ve seen him play in a long, long time,” coach Bob Boughner said. “He looks confident and he looks like he’s reading the play better.”
Evander Kane scored twice, and Rudolfs Balcers and Tomas Hertl also scored to give the Sharks a sweep of the two-game series.
Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings, and Cal Petersen made 24 saves. Los Angeles has lost five of seven.
“It’s disappointing for sure,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “San Jose is a good team. I believe we can win every game. But this was a series, before we started, I really believed we could win and outplay them. We did at times but we just didn’t get the job done.”
The Sharks opened the scoring by converting on two well-executed rushes in the second period. Balcers scored his third of the season on a give-and-go with Marcus Sorensen to make it 1-0 early in the period.
2021.03.24 – San Jose Sharks vs. LA Kings (Video Highlights)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) defends the goal against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2021.03.24 – San Jose Sharks vs. LA Kings (Video Highlights)
2021.03.24 – San Jose Sharks vs. LA Kings (Video Highlights)
Kane added to the lead late in the second when he sent a cross-ice feed to Kevin Labanc after entering the offensive zone. Labanc left the puck on a short pass for Brent Burns, who found Kane down low for his 13th goal.
“That was as poor rush coverage as I’ve seen from our group of D, and our forwards set up rushes by poor game management,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “We got impatient and they stung us for it.”
The Kings responded with 12.4 seconds left in the period when Iafallo finally got one past Jones after being robbed multiple times the past two games. Iafallo redirected Dustin Brown’s pass from the point to make it 2-1.
The Sharks broke the game open in the first two minutes of the third, with Kane getting his second goal on a deflection of Mario Ferraro’s point shot and Hertl beating Petersen on the rush.
“We came out and attacked,” Boughner said. “We took the momentum back that we gave them at the end of the second period. I was happy to see that.”
Kempe got one of those goals back for the Kings, but Los Angeles couldn’t get any closer.
INJURY REPORT
Sharks captain Logan Couture left late in the third period after being hit hard near center ice by Los Angeles’ Jeff Carter. Couture stayed down for a couple of minutes before skating off under his own power and going straight to the dressing room. Carter was called for high-sticking on the play.
“It looked a little high to me,” Boughner said. “Looked like it could have been the butt end come up. … Let the league look at it and let them see what they think.”
2021.03.24 – Sharks 2021 Second Half (Video Highlights)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier (28) skates toward the puck in front of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2021.03.24 – Sharks 2021 Second Half (Video Highlights)
2021.03.24 – Sharks 2021 Second Half (Video Highlights)
BENCHED
Sharks forward Kurtis Gabriel was benched after he got fined by the NHL for cross-checking Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid during pregame warmups Monday. The two former minor league teammates fought in the first period that night and Gabriel was fined about $3,000 by the NHL on Tuesday. Boughner, also fined $5,000, decided to sit Gabriel.
Related – SJ Sharks sink the LA Kings in shootout
Related – See below: San Jose Sharks hold off the LA Kings
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.
Sharks: At the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night.
Read more at: San Jose Sharks Media Services / More AP NHL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Jose Sharks, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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San Jose Sharks hold off the LA Kings
Donato scores tiebreaker and Jones delivers 41 saves
San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Kings right wing Alex Iafallo (19) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2021.03.22 – Ryan Donato scored the tie-breaking goal early in the third period, Martin Jones delivered one of his best performances in net all season and the San Jose Sharks hold off the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Monday night.
“It’s huge. We’ve had some games where we left some points on the table,” Donato said. “Tonight we didn’t want to have that continue. … Obviously there’s things we need to do a little better but I thought we played overall a good game.”
Donato scored shortly after San Jose killed off its fifth penalty in as many chances. He skated around the Los Angeles net and sent in a backhand shot that hit defenseman Kurtis MacDermid and eluded Jonathan Quick to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead.
Both goals for San Jose went in off the unlucky MacDermid.
“We didn’t give up much,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Both their goals were off one of our players. Sometimes it’s not your night. We put in a good effort.”
Logan Couture also scored and Jones made 41 saves as the Sharks snapped a season-high four-game losing streak.
Matt Roy scored his first goal of the season and Quick made 21 saves for the Kings.
Los Angeles was unable to build on Sunday’s encouraging 3-1 win over Vegas and hasn’t won consecutive games since a six-game winning streak was stopped Feb. 26.
The Kings came close to tying it but Jones made two strong stops in the third period against Alex Iafallo.
Los Angeles then nearly scored in the closing seconds during a scramble in front but couldn’t get one past Jones, who denied Iafallo again right at the buzzer.
“He’s square to every shot right now. He’s in that zone. Everything he’s seeing, he’s stopping,” Couture said. “He’s confident. He looks good in the net. We gave up a few too many chances but he made some big-time saves for us.”
2021.03.22 – San Jose Sharks vs. LA Kings (Video Highlights)
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) watches puck enter the net on a goal by San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture, not seen, during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2021.03.22 – San Jose Sharks vs. LA Kings (Video Highlights)
2021.03.22 – San Jose Sharks vs. LA Kings (Video Highlights)
PAYING OFF
One day after signing a three-year contract extension, Roy delivered with his first goal in 60 games to tie it at 1 late in the second period. Gabriel Vilardi won a clean offensive-zone draw against Tomas Hertl, and Austin Wagner got the puck back to the point. Roy then beat Jones with a drive for his first goal since Dec. 17, 2019, at Boston.
“I was just trying to get it past the guy coming out to block it,” Roy said. “Lucky for us, it went in.”
BUSY BODY
MacDermid had an eventful first period. He accidentally knocked in San Jose’s first goal when Couture’s shot deflected off Quick’s glove and then hit MacDermid before bouncing into the net.
A few minutes later, MacDermid squared off in a fight with Kurtis Gabriel and got the best of the bout.
2021.03.22 – Sharks 2021 Second Half (Video Highlights)
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar, right, skates for the puck against San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro (38) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2021.03.22 – Sharks 2021 Second Half (Video Highlights)
2021.03.22 – Sharks 2021 Second Half (Video Highlights)
MILESTONE
Sharks forward Patrick Marleau played in his 884th consecutive regular-season game, tying Steve Larmer for the fourth-longest streak in NHL history. Doug Jarvis holds the record with 964 games. Marleau has played in 1,753 career games, three shy of Mark Messier for second place. Marleau is poised to break Gordie Howe’s record of 1,767 games played in April.
Related – SJ Sharks sink the LA Kings in shootout
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UP NEXT
Kings: The team play again Wednesday night in San Jose.
Sharks: The team play again Wednesday night in San Jose.
Read more at: San Jose Sharks Media Services / More AP NHL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Jose Sharks, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
EMI Sports Central – EMI Sports Bay Area: Join the conversation on sports news for SF Bay Area teams: Follow @EMIsports on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and sign up for our FREE email newsletters.