LOS ANGELES — The Kings clicked on all cylinders on offense to steamroll the Sharks, 8-1.
A tough loss to the Maple Leafs on the first night of a back-to-back had the Kings eager to respond against a division rival. Los Angeles needed to showcase why they are the superior team against the Sharks.
Straight from the get-go, the Kings were putting pressure on Georgi Romanov. The Kings knocked in two goals and dictated the flow from that point.
Following the strong start, Los Angeles would continue attacking the San Jose defense. In the second period, the Kings added in four more goals, then would score an additional two more in the third period.
Los Angeles had a potent offensive showing as they scored eight goals on 36 shot attempts. Not only were the Kings effective with their offense, but they executed on power plays.
From the five power-play opportunities the Kings received, they scored twice. Despite the power-play struggles throughout the season, the Kings did not have any trouble tonight.
Executing on power plays and attacking on offense is a recipe that would work against any team. This performance was a strong showcase of the skills needed for the Kings to finish the season strong.
“Coming down to the end of the season, doesn’t matter who we play, we have to show up every day,” said Adrian Kempe. “You know, do the things we have to build on for the future and for the playoffs and do it on a consistent basis.”
On this dominant offensive night, the Kings had eight players record at least two points. Anže Kopitar and Andrei Kuzmenko had the most with three points total. Kopitar had three assists while Kuzmenko had a goal and two assists.
Although the Sharks were embarrassed, Cam Lund scored a goal and managed to put the Sharks on the scoreboard. Mario Ferraro was credited with an assist on the goal.
As dominant as the victory was for the Kings, their opponent had the worst record in the entire NHL. Now the Kings will be challenged by a much tougher opponent in the Jets, who are the best team in the Western Conference.
The Kings will try to keep the offense clicking against the Jets on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. A victory will prove that the Kings offense can flourish against any opponent, including the Stanley Cup contenders.
