SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Last season’s run to the Los Angeles Kings' first-ever Stanley Cup championship was highlighted by their dominance on the road, winning 10 consecutive games away from Staples Center.
What a difference a year makes.
The Kings dropped a 2-1 contest in San Jose on Tuesday to even up the series with Game 5 on Thursday night at Staples Center.
Once again, the Kings found themselves guilty of running around early on. Los Angeles was outshot 15-3 in the opening period.
“We didn’t have the start we wanted to and just turning pucks over and slow moving," said Kings forward, Mike Richards. “I think I got my pocket picked three times on one shift, which is a little bit embarrassing. It just shows that you can’t play half a game in the playoffs.”
The defending Stanley Cup champions have lost four of five on the road in this year’s postseason, scoring just seven goals in the process.
“We have to find a way to score more than one goal,” said Kings captain Dustin Brown. “We’ve been struggling to score goals on the road and Quickie has been playing great. Two goals in 120 plus minutes makes it tough to win games.”
Tuesday night’s setback was the Kings' seventh straight in San Jose and marked their ninth loss in their last 12 visits to the Shark Tank.
The Sharks built a 2-0 lead in the second period on goals by Brent Burns and Logan Couture. The Kings thought they had cut the lead in half when Dustin Penner poked home a shot that had trickled through the legs of Sharks goalie Antti Niemi but a quick whistle negated the goal.
‘I’m sure it’s in the rule book, when the whistle goes … right?” said Kings coach Darryl Sutter. “What are they going to tell us? They’re gonna come say they lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle.”
“It was a quick whistle but those things tend to even themselves out throughout the playoffs,” Brown said.
On a positive note, the Kings welcomed back Kyle Clifford and Matt Greene from injury to the lineup in Game 4 and while they were not able to spark a victory, their presence was clearly felt.
“It’s huge. Obviously the physical presence he has on the ice and the leadership (Greene) has in the room is huge,” Brown said. “I think (Greene) was our most physical defenseman tonight and it was great having him back.”
In his 14 minutes on the ice, Greene registered four hits and two blocked shots. Clifford, always a physical force, was second on the team in hits with five. His tough, physical style saw him elevated to the third line for the later stages of the game.
The series now shifts back to Los Angeles for the pivotal Game 5 on Thursday night. The Kings will look to continue their dominance at home, where they have won an impressive 12 straight games, dating back to the regular season.
