Sharks 6, Kings 3
Brent Burns, defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and rookie Tomas Hertl each recorded a goal and an assist as host San Jose built a huge lead before weathering a third-period comeback attempt to capture Game 1 of its Western Conference first-round series.
Captain Joe Thornton, Raffi Torres and Patrick Marleau also scored for the Sharks, who host Game 2 on Sunday. James Sheppard notched a pair of assists and Antti Niemi turned aside 31 shots.
Trevor Lewis and defensemen Jake Muzzin and Slava Voynov tallied for the Kings, who outshot San Jose 16-5 in the third period. Jonathan Quick allowed five goals on 28 shots before being replaced by Martin Jones, who stopped all four shots he faced in the final session.
San Jose got on the board 3:06 into the contest as Burns made a pass from along the end boards to Joe Pavelski, whose backhand shot from the slot was tipped in by Thornton while Quick still was looking behind the net. Hertl doubled the lead at 19:08 and Marleau converted a return pass from Matt Nieto during a 2-on-1 rush with four seconds remaining in the session for a 3-0 lead.
The Sharks continued the onslaught in the second period as Torres beat Quick from the top of the slot at 12:57 after Vlasic's shot rang off the left post. The defenseman made good on another chance 3 1/2 minutes later, firing the puck between Quick's pads from the high slot during a power play to make it 5-0.
Muzzin began Los Angeles' comeback attempt 2:01 into the third with a shot from just above the left faceoff circle and Voynov banked a shot from the right circle off the left post and in at 6:55. Jeff Carter's shot from the left circle caromed off Lewis' skate and past Niemi with 6:01 remaining, but Burns stifled the rally with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Los Angeles D Drew Doughty returned to the lineup after missing the final four games of the regular season with an upper-body injury and registered five shots on goal while blocking four. ... It took only five minutes for tempers to flare as Sharks RW Mike Brown was pounced on by three Kings behind the net after he knocked Voynov into Quick. ... Los Angeles C Anze Kopitar recorded a game-high six shots on goal while teammates Doughty and Carter had five apiece. Vlasic, Hertl and Burns each had five for San Jose.