SAN JOSE – Antti Niemi made 24 saves and assisted on the game-winning goal Sunday night as the San Jose Sharks extended the Western Conference Semifinals with a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at sold-out HP Pavilion.
Even at three games each, the final game of the best 4-of-7 series will be played Tuesday at 6pm on the Kings’ ice. The home team has won every game this series.
Joe Thornton provided a power-play goal in the first period and linemate TJ Galiardi netted the deciding goal in the second period as the Sharks posted a 2-1 win for the third time at home against the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Captain Dustin Brown sliced the San Jose lead to one goal when he scored 13:53 into the second period. The Sharks held the Kings without a goal in the third period, Niemi making eight saves.
“Simple hockey,” said Dan Boyle of the Sharks’ third-period plan. “Getting it out, getting it in, nobody getting caught. No odd-man rushes, just be smart.”
San Jose went on a 5-on-3 power play 4:58 into the first period after Mike Richards was called for hooking and Anze Kopitar went to the box 14 seconds later for delaying the game by sending the puck over the glass.
“They won the special teams battle,” Kopitar said. “We took too many penalties again.”
With their top two centers in the penalty box, the Kings gave up Thornton’s 5-on-3 goal at the 6:09 mark. Thornton was waiting on the goal line to the right of the Kings’ net when Joe Pavelski’s sharp pass across the slot left the captain with an open net to deposit the puck past goaltender Jonathan Quick.
The Sharks went more than 15 minutes after the Kings’ two penalties to record another shot on net. Galiardi earned his first postseason goal in 19 games with his wrist shot from the top of the right circle over Quick’s glove at 4:10 of the second period.
“I had a lot of speed going up,” Galiardi said of his rush into the Kings’ zone after a pass from Scott Gomez. Galiardi drilled the shot between the legs of defenseman Robyn Regehr and by the screened Quick. Niemi earned the second assist on the play, his first-ever postseason point.
Brown recorded his third goal of the postseason when his soft shot from the right corner of the Sharks’ zone dropped between Niemi and the right post.
The Sharks “were loose and ready to play,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. “We really didn’t have anything to lose.”
“We did a better job of getting out of our zone,” said Sharks’ defenseman Brad Stuart. “As a result, more time in the offensive zone. It’ll be important to be more energized in the first period” Tuesday.
NOTES: The Sharks are 5-2 in franchise history n Game 7’s…Boyle led the Sharks with six blocked shots…Thornton led the Sharks in ice time with 22:01…Tuesday’s winner will play either Chicago or Detroit in the Western Conference Finals.
