SAN JOSE
– Kyle Wellwood knew where Joe Pavelski was and that knowledge
turned into the game-winning goal as the San Jose Sharks topped the
Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime in the first game of the best
4-of-7 Western Conference Quarterfinals Thursday at sold-out HP
Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – Kyle Wellwood knew where Joe Pavelski was and that knowledge turned into the game-winning goal as the San Jose Sharks topped the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime in the first game of the best 4-of-7 Western Conference Quarterfinals Thursday at sold-out HP Pavilion.
Game Two is Saturday at 7pm at HP Pavilion. The Kings host the following two games of the series Tuesday and Thursday, both at 7:30pm.
San Jose developed a 3-on-2 break in the first overtime period that culminated with the game-winning goal. Wellwood, with the puck, and linemate Ryane Clowe skated inside the Los Angeles zone against two defenders. Wellwood delayed at the top of the left circle before he pulled a pass across the ice to an advancing Pavelski. The pinpoint pass allowed Pavelski to have time to aim for the top right corner of the net, finishing off the series opener with his third career OT winner at the 14:44 mark.
“I had seen (Pavelski) pretty early on,” Wellwood said of the decisive play. “I waited for him to get over the blueline.”
Pavelski, owner of 16 goals in 41 playoff games, confirmed that he was looking to the top right corner when he gained a clear look at the net.
“I tried to shoot as hard as I could and find the opening,” said Pavelski. “The defense was sliding that way so, to be honest, it was the only place to get the shot on net.”
San Jose scored in each of the first two periods, only to see the visitors pull even to leave the score tied at 2-2 entering the third period.
Dany Heatley scored for the Sharks 28 seconds into play. The winger’s goal set a franchise mark for the earliest goal from the start of the game, a record Jonathan Cheechoo had owned with a goal in 36 seconds of a 3-2 loss in Detroit on April 28, 2007.
Logan Couture controlled the puck inside the Los Angeles zone before waiting for a trailing Ian White to accept a pass and move the puck near the goalline. White’s accurate pass to Ryane Clowe in the left-wing circle resulted in a hard one-timer that goaltender Jonathan Quick kicked aside. The short rebound fell to Heatley in the low slot for the jam shot into the net.
San Jose killed a pair of King power plays in the first period on the way to a 14-3 edge in shots on net for the first 20 minutes. The Sharks did lose defenseman Ian White for the rest of the game when Los Angeles center Jarret Stoll ran into White from behind at the San Jose endboards. White was pushed against the glass and the Shark was assisted off the ice with 21.8 seconds left in the period.
“He’s not feeling real good,” coach Todd McLellan said of White’s post-game condition. “We lost a very good defenseman that we depend on.”
Wellwood noted that the loss of White had an immediate impact on the game.
“It changed the whole game,” said Wellwood. “It’s tough to play with five D.”
San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle finished the night with 39 shifts worth 35 minutes of ice time, in part due to the loss of White.
Los Angeles sandwiched two goals in the second period around a goal from Couture.
The Kings were on a power play when Niclas Wallin was whistled for delay of game for sending the puck over the glass at 6:09.
San Jose had a short-handed opportunity when Couture ignited a 2-on-1 break in the neutral zone. Couture’s hard shot went wide of the net and skimmed around the rink before the Kings controlled the puck at the redline to start a 3-on-1 rush. With only
Jason Demers back to defend the charge, King captain Dustin Brown turned Justin Williams’ cross-ice pass into a 20-foot shot inside the left post past goaltender Antti Niemi.
San Jose needed less than three minutes to regain the lead.
Couture, moving the puck along the left boards, was able to avoid a low check by King Drew Doughty at the blueline. Keeping his balance, Couture moved past the left-wing dot before whipping a low shot between Quick’s pads at the 10:23 mark.
Williams scored from point-blank range for Los Angeles at 16:20. Two Sharks collided in back of the San Jose net along with King Ryan Smyth. The puck slid to the right post to an unmarked Williams for the quick shot inside the right post before Niemi could reach that side of the pipes.
Although the third period was scoreless, both clubs had strong scoring opportunities to avoid overtime. Niemi called on a quick right-pad save of a Kyle Clifford shot off a 2-on-1 rush 1:45 into the period. Joe Thornton and Devin Setoguchi keyed an extended scoring chance at the 13-minute mark of the period that stopped when Quick was able to sprawl forward to make a save. The Sharks had a power play in the closing 2:11 of the third but could not turn any of the three shots during the power play into the game-winner.
“We have to be feeling pretty good about how we played,” said Los Angeles coach Terry Murray.
Clowe earned assists on all three San Jose goals. Setoguchi paced San Jose with seven shots on net.
San Jose has not won the first post-season game in regulation play since 2002 when the Sharks defeated Phoenix 2-1 on the way to a 4-1 series victory.
