Don't call it a comeback, they've been here for years. The Los Angeles Kings are looking to pull off the upset and rally from a 3-1 deficit to the San Jose Sharks and win round one of the Western Conference playoffs. The California rivalry has certainly provided sparks in the past and this playoff series is just another example. With the series tied, the Kings have forced a win-or-go-home Game 7.
The Sharks were dominating early in this series and thing were starting to look a bit lopsided as San Jose took a 3-0 lead. The Kings simply looked terrible. Normally the rock, goalie Jonathan Quick allowed 16 goals in the first three losses when normally he is the driving force behind the Kings. However, the team has rattled off three straight wins and now have a chance to reach the second round with a win on the road.
If the Kings were to win Wednesday, they would be the ninth team to force a Game 7 after losing the first three. The Sharks have been in this situation in the past. They managed to avoid a collapse in 2011 after losing three straight games before beating Detroit in Game 7. They advanced to the Western Conference finals.
The Kings have been succeeding things to tighter defense that is eliminating the rush of goals that occurred in the first two games. They have also gotten better production out of their scorers. Justin Williams have two goals in both Game 4 and 6. He has a good history against the Sharks, having scoring two goals in a 2-1 win in Game 7 last year. In four career Game 7's, he has five goals and four assists as his team won all four.
This game might be played in San Jose, but that has not meant much in this series. The Sharks won the first two games at home and got the overtime win on the road. But, the Kings have dominated including a Game 5 shutout in San Jose. Over the past three games, it is the Sharks stars that are doing nothing as Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Logan Couture have all been held in check despite strong play early in the series.
The Sharks have yet to decide on a Game 7 goalie. Antti Niemi has played well but got replaced in Game 6 but Alex Stalock who stopped 26 of 30 shots. Both goalies have struggled recently and could be the deciding factor in this series.