
Programming note: Sharks-Kings coverage begins at 7pm on CSN California with Sharks Pregame Live
Series schedule
Game 1 – April 14, Sharks @ Kings, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2 – April 16, Sharks @ Kings, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3 – April 18, Kings @ Sharks, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4 – April 20, Kings @ Sharks, 7:30 p.m.
Game 5* – April 22, Sharks @ Kings, TBD
Game 6* – April 24, Kings @ Sharks, TBD
Game 7* – April 26, Sharks @ Kings, TBD
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* - if necessary
The latest
Sharks: The Sharks closed out the regular season with a 46-30-6 record, good for 98 points. They won a franchise-record and league-best 28 road games (28-10-3), but were just 18-20-3 at home. San Jose missed the playoffs last season, but has now made it to the tournament 11 times in the last 12 years.
Kings: The Kings finished 48-28-6 on the season (102 points), but surrendered a 3-0 lead to Winnipeg in their final game on Saturday, blowing a chance to win the Pacific Division. Los Angeles, which also missed the playoffs in 2014-15, was 26-12-3 at home this year.
San Jose Sharks
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Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Joe Thornton. The Sharks’ Hart and Selke Trophy candidate finished the year tied for fourth in the league in scoring with 82 points, and registered at least one point in each of the Sharks’ last 33 wins. Thornton’s line, with Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski, scored 34 goals after they were put together on Jan. 9. In 132 career playoff games, Thornton has 100 points (24g, 76a) and a minus-27 rating.
Kings: Anze Kopitar. The Kings’ top-line center led his team in scoring for the ninth straight season with 74 points, and, like Thornton, is one of the best two-way possession players in the NHL. The 28-year-old has 60 points (18g, 42a) and a plus-22 rating in 70 career playoff games.
Probable lines
Sharks
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Joonas Donskoi – Logan Couture – Joel Ward
Matt Nieto – Patrick Marleau – Melker Karlsson
Nick Spaling – Chris Tierney – Tommy Wingels
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – Roman Polak
Martin Jones (confirmed starter)
James Reimer
Kings
Milan Lucic – Anze Kopitar – Tanner Pearson
Dustin Brown – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Dwight King – Vincent Lecavalier – Kris Versteeg
Kyle Clifford - Andy Andreoff - Trevor Lewis
Brayden McNabb – Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin – Luke Schenn
Rob Scuderi – Alec Martinez
Jonathan Quick (confirmed starter)
Jhonas Enroth
Vitals (regular season)
Sharks
Goals per game: 2.89 (4th)
Goals-against per game: 2.52 (10th)
Power play: 22.5 percent (3rd)
Penalty kill: 80.5 percent (21st)
Kings
Goals per game: 2.72 (14th)
Goals-against per game: 2.34 (3rd)
Power play: 20.0 percent (8th)
Penalty kill: 81.4 percent (15th)
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (sprained right knee) and Matt Nieto (right hand) are probable. Matt Tennyson (concussion) is on a conditioning assignment with the AHL Barracuda.
Kings: Alec Martinez (undisclosed) is probable. Marian Gaborik (knee), Jordan Nolan (herniated disc) and Matt Greene (shoulder) are out.
Season series
The Sharks went 3-1-1 against the Kings in the regular season, winning both games at Staples Center and going 1-1-1 at SAP Center.
This is the fourth time the Sharks and Kings have faced off in the playoffs in the last six years. Los Angeles has won two of the three previous meetings, including in 2014 when it became just the fourth team in NHL history to erase a three-games-to-none hole.
The Sharks and Kings are 10-10 against one another in playoff games all-time.
Odds and ends
*The Sharks are 16-15 all-time in Game 1 of a playoff series, and 8-8 on the road.
*San Jose has qualified for the playoffs 18 times in 24 seasons.
*Los Angeles has won 10 of its last 11 playoff series, including Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, but is just 19-28 all-time in Game 1.