The Los Angeles Kings (10-6-5) traveled to Northern California to take on their Pacific Division rival, the San Jose Sharks (10-8-3) on their home ice at SAP Center. The visit marked the Kings’ penultimate stop on their final tour for the month of November before the team travels to Anaheim next week.
It was a special night in San Jose as the Sharks organization honored former star and captain Joe Thornton for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. A ceremony was held for the beloved veteran and a tribute was displayed on the life-size jumbotron as his family watched his special achievements alongside him. Thornton originally retired in October 2023; however, he was celebrated tonight for his recent induction.
On the ice, Yaroslav Askarov guarded his home net as Kings’ goalie Anton Forsberg skated around his crease as he prepared for the puck drop. Tonight promised to be an intense and competitive division match.
Sharks on board
The first period was kind of an explosion. From the moment the puck hit the ice, the Sharks
‘chewed away’ as they fought to get on board first. With their luck, the first goal of the night was scored by Sharks center Adam Gaudette just 2:33 into the game. The wrist shot left netminder Forsberg stunned as they put the Kings in an early hole.
The Kings tried to bite back and tie the game as they looked irritated and frustrated. It wasn’t until late in the period, at 3:56, that Joel Armia scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game at 1-1. The luck didn’t last long for Los Angeles as the Sharks struck back with 10 seconds left on the clock. Ty Dellandrea sent a deflected shot past Forsberg as both teams went into the break, with San Jose leading by one.
Kings bite back
Back for more: The second period started with aggression and dominance from both the Sharks and Kings as they fought for every tooth and nail. The Kings tried to sneak a few shots into Askarov’s net, but unfortunately the Russian netminder was as high as a brick wall. It wasn’t until Kings captain Anže Kopitar won the face-off against Dellandrea, scoring a smooth backhand goal at 18:13.
The Kings, hungry for more, continued to shoot, sending follow-up shots from Kopitar, Warren Foegele and Alex Laferriere toward the net, but the 6-foot-2 goaltender had a chance every time. However, the pressure proved too much for the Kings when, with 2:56 remaining, forward Philipp Kurashev launched a wrist shot past Forsberg. The battle continued with the Sharks leading 3-2.
Sharks with one (again)
With the last twenty to go, both rivals remained fierce as they fought for every inch of ice. San Jose’s Mario Ferraro and the Kings’ Alex Turcotte each received minor two-minute penalties for rough conduct after a heated argument. Other than checking and pre-processing, not much action happened until the last minute. Adrian Kempe eventually tied the game, sending the Kings into overtime as Sharks fans booed the possible win of a regulation game. The extra frame passed without a winning goal, and the two points were put on the line under the pressure of a shootout.
OT… No, to Shootout We Go
In a closely fought game, where the Kings ultimately lost 4-3 in the shootout, the end result was tough for Los Angeles. The results of the shootout are detailed below.
SJS: Philipp Kurashev ✔
LAK: Trevor Moore ✘
SJS: Macklin Celebrini ✘
LAK: Adriaan Kempe ✘
SJS: Will Smith ✘
LAK: Corey Perry ✘
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