The San Jose Sharks are headed back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, one season after their streak of 10 postseason appearances ended. Joe Thornton scored the tie-breaking goal at 4:28 of the third period, and the playoff-bound Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 at SAP Center on Monday.
Justin Braun scored two goals and Joe Pavelski and Melker Karlsson each scored for the Sharks, who had lost three straight home games, squandering chances to clinch a playoff berth earlier. Martin Jones made 30 saves against his former team. The Sharks officially clinched a playoff berth minutes before they defeated the Kings when the Calgary Flames beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. The Sharks won the season-series 3-2-0 and defeated the Kings at SAP Center for the first time in three tries.
Vincent Lecavalier scored two goals for the Kings, and Jonathan Quick made 26 saves. The Kings' lead in the Pacific Division over the second-place Anaheim Ducks, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1, is one point. San Jose trails the Kings by five points.
The game was tied 2-2 entering the third period, but Thornton scored on the power play, putting the Sharks ahead for good. Brent Burns sent a wrist shot from the left circle that ricocheted off of Quick. Then Pavelski shot from close range, and the puck bounced off of Quick to Thornton, right of the crease. Thornton scored his 18th goal on a wrist shot before Quick could get up off the ice. The Sharks have won the past 29 games in which Thornton has a point.
Karlsson made it 4-2 at 16:41 of the third, taking a pass from Tommy Wingels and scoring his 10th goal of the season from close range. Braun added an empty-net goal with 18.1 seconds left.
Lecavalier gave the Kings a 1-0 lead at 9:12 of a fast-paced and physical first period on the power play. With Braun in the penalty box, Lecavalier took a pass from Alec Martinez and beat Jones from the right circle with a snap shot to the short side. The goal was his ninth of the season.
The Kings had gone 1-for-22 on the power play in their previous nine games.
Braun scored his third goal of the season at 12:57 of the first period. Wingels won a battle for the puck along the right boards, sending it to Karlsson, who hit Braun with a pass in the slot. Braun beat Quick with a wrist shot to the top right corner of the net. The Kings had seven of the first eight shots, but San Jose outshot them 11-9 for the period.
San Jose took a 2-1 lead on Pavelski's' 36th goal of the season at 7:55 of the second period. Burns sent a wrist shot into traffic from the blue line near the right boards. The puck was deflected twice, first by Tomas Hertl then by Pavelski, who tipped it past Quick.
The Kings pulled even at 15:43 of the second period on Lecavalier's second of the game. He took a pass in the slot from Milan Lucic, skated to the right circle and scored on a wrist shot.
Couture had a scoring chance in the final seconds of the second period, but Quick came up with stellar save. Wide-open in the slot, Couture took a pass from Wingels and sent a wrist shot toward what looked like an empty left side of the net. Quick made a diving stick save, deflecting the puck off the crossbar and away from the net.
Sharks Bites
Peter DeBoer: "I think one, appropriately, we clinched a playoff spot with a game like that against a team like that. That's kind of been the story all year that we wanted to prove we belonged in that category of team. We feel we do. It was a solid effort, goalie out, and it was nice to win that game."Joe Thornton: "We've been playing some good hockey, we just haven't clinched. To finally get that out of the way. Now just keep playing hard and stay healthy."
Justin Braun: "It's a good feeling beating them any time. Guys have confidence seeing them in the playoffs."
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