Kings Pick Their Spots and Bury the Sharks 7-2
San Jose had more of the puck and more shots, and still got buried. Los Angeles simply took better shots, and that gap, plus some leaky goaltending at the other end, explains a 7-2 night that the shot clock never would.
The Sharks outshot the Kings 32-27 and led in five-on-five shot attempts. But expected goals, which measure how many goals a team's chances were worth based on where and how they were taken, told the real story: the Kings' looks were worth 3.75 goals, the Sharks' 2.65. Los Angeles won the chances that matter.
The Kings still scored nearly twice what their chances suggested, so the bounces went their way too. Adrian Kempe had three goals and an assist on a line with Artemi Panarin, who set up four. Kempe even clanged one off the crossbar. Quinton Byfield added two goals, and the power play cashed in three times on five chances.
At the other end, Darcy Kuemper stopped 30 of 32, including all 15 high-danger shots he faced, while San Jose's netminding gave up more than the chances warranted.
