Preview: Sharks at Kings – Reuters The Los Angeles Kings made history at the expense of the San Jose Sharks en route to winning their second Stanley Cup title in three years. After rallying from a three-game deficit to shock the Sharks in last season’s first-round series, the Kings look to start the 2014-15 campaign on the right foot when they host their Pacific Division rivals on Wednesday. “We’ve got basically the same team,” Conn Smythe Trophy winner Justin Williams said. “I feel our hunger is going to be exactly where it needs to be because we’ve felt what it tasted like to have it and to have it taken away from us.”
A sour taste has resonated in the mouths of the Sharks, who became the fourth team in NHL history to see a commanding 3-0 lead go by the wayside. “It’s a low point,” forward Joe Pavelski said of the team’s exit. “We (need to) look at ourselves in the mirror and see what we’re about.” The reflection will offer a different view of the team’s blue line as Brad Stuart was traded to Colorado while fellow defenseman Dan Boyle traveled the free-agent route to the New York Rangers, leading to Brent Burns (career-high 22 goals) once again returning to his natural position while Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun will have added responsibilities.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE SHARKS (2013-14: 51-22-9, 2ND IN PACIFIC): General manager Doug Wilson stressed a “tomorrow’s team” approach for the new season, and with that came the demotion from captain for Joe Thornton. The veteran amassed 65 assists and 76 points last season and likely will center a line with 41-goal scorer Pavelski and second-year upstart Tomas Hertl, who shined to begin the 2013-14 season before an injury took some steam out of his sail. Antti Niemi remains the unquestioned starting goaltender after winning a career-high 39 games last campaign, but second-year netminder Alex Stalock is expected to see an increase in workload this season.
ABOUT THE KINGS (2013-14: 46-28-8, 3RD IN PACIFIC): The key ingredient to Los Angeles’ success has been coach Darryl Sutter’s commitment to a stifling defense. Stud blue-liner Drew Doughty quarterbacks a heavy-hitting blue-line corps that will need to overcome veteran Willie Mitchell’s departure to Florida. Jonathan Quick, who won the William Jennings Trophy after posting a rail-thin 2.07 goals-against average, surpassed Rogie Vachon’s franchise-leading win total last season and needs one more shutout to match him in that category.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles C Anze Kopitar led the club in goals (29) and assists (41) during the regular season and scored four times while setting up six tallies versus San Jose during the playoffs.
2. The Sharks play 16 of their first 21 games on the road.
3. Kings C Jeff Carter led all players with two goals and two assists during the five-game regular-season series.
PREDICTION: Kings 3, Sharks 2
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