Kings 2, Sharks 1
Kings 2, Sharks 1: Justin Williams scored twice in the second period and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves as host Los Angeles kept alive its hopes of repeating as Stanley Cup champion by edging sixth-seeded San Jose in Game 7 of their Western Conference second-round series.
Defenseman Slava Voynov recorded a pair of assists for the fifth-seeded Kings, who await the winner of Wednesday's Game 7 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. Los Angeles, which is 7-0 at home in the playoffs and has won 14 straight overall at Staples Center, would host Game 1 of the conference final should seventh-seeded Detroit advance.
Blue-liner Dan Boyle scored the lone goal and Antti Niemi turned aside 16 shots for the Sharks, who outshot the Kings 14-4 in the third period. San Jose fell to 0-10 in series in which it lost the first two games.
After a scoreless first period, Voynov unleashed a blast from the blue line during a power play that sailed wide. Williams jammed the puck in at the left post at 4:11 of the second to join former Shark Jeff Friesen as the only players in NHL history to score a goal in four consecutive Game 7 appearances.
Williams doubled the advantage less than three minutes later, receiving a pass from Anze Kopitar and drilling a shot past Niemi from low in the left faceoff circle for his fourth tally this postseason. The 31-year-old nearly recorded a natural hat trick but was robbed by Niemi on a one-timer from the left circle during another power play with 11:45 left in the period.
Niemi kept the deficit at 2-0 by stopping Jeff Carter on a breakaway early in the third, and Boyle got the Sharks on the board at 5:26 with a blast from the blue line that beat Quick to the stick side. The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner would not allow the equalizer, making a glove save on Joe Pavelski while sprawled on the ice with 5:04 remaining.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The home team won every game of the series, scoring first in each contest. ... The Kings went 6-0 at home against the Sharks in 2013. ... San Jose was 0-for-2 on the power play and finished the postseason 1-for-21 on the road (0-for-12 at Staples Center). ... Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise occupied a front-row seat at Staples Center, directly in front of former Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham. Pop recording artist Justin Bieber also was in attendance.