Sharks at Kings
The Los Angeles Kings have split their first four contests this season with the San Jose Sharks and are 3-3-0 on their current seven-game homestand. The Kings look to finish both respective stretches on a positive note Wednesday when they host their Pacific Division rivals at Staples Center.
Captain Anze Kopitar sat out Monday's 2-1 setback to Tampa Bay due to illness, but is expected to carry his season-high four-game point streak (one goal, six assists) into the series finale versus the Sharks. The 29-year-old Slovenian center has set up a pair of tallies in four encounters with San Jose this season and recorded 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in 62 career meetings. Sharks veteran defenseman Brent Burns, who has tallied twice in the season series versus the Kings, matched his career high by netting his fourth game-winning goal of the campaign in Monday's 5-2 victory over Winnipeg. The 31-year-old leads San Jose in goals (18), assists (27), points (45) and plus/minus rating (plus-14) in 44 contests as he bolsters his case to unseat reigning Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty of Los Angeles.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE SHARKS (26-16-2): Martin Jones is within his element when he's in the crease, but the workhorse goaltender attempted to mirror his idol Martin Brodeur with the Jets pulling their netminder for an extra attacker in the late stages on Monday's tilt. Jones snared the puck with his glove hand and did his best to size up the open goal at the other end of the ice, only to see his bid denied by Mark Scheifele, who promptly dropped the puck and deposited it past the embarrassed goaltender. "No, that's the first time I've tried (to score a goal), and probably the last, too," the 27-year-old Jones told the San Jose Mercury News. Jones did notch two assists with the Kings to begin his career, but as he showed Monday, he's more comfortable stopping the puck than shooting it.
ABOUT THE KINGS (22-18-4): Tanner Pearson, who has 10 points (six goals, four assists) in his last 12 games, has collected two goals and an assist in the last two meetings with the Sharks to even the series. The 24-year-old scored and set up a goal in a 3-2 win over San Jose on New Year's Eve and also tallied in overtime of a 2-1 triumph three nights later. Jeff Carter (team-leading 23 goals) also has two goals and an assist versus the Sharks this season and has recorded 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in his last 13 games overall.
OVERTIME
1. San Jose RW Joel Ward scored and set up a goal versus Winnipeg to raise his point total to six (two goals, four assists) in as many games.
2. Kings G Peter Budaj has yielded just five goals in his last three contests overall and six in three encounters (2-1-0) with the Sharks.
3. San Jose is 2-for-17 on the power play in the last seven games while Los Angeles is 8-for-45 with the man advantage in its last 17.