Sharks 5, Kings 1
LOS ANGELES -- Center Joe Pavelski scored a goal and recorded two assists, leading the San Jose Sharks to a 5-1 rout of the Los Angeles Kings in the opener for both clubs Wednesday night at Staples Center.
Sharks center Joe Thornton and defenseman Brent Burns added a goal and an assist apiece as the Sharks (1-0) pounded the Kings by scoring five consecutive times. Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic had two assists for San Jose.
San Jose rolled to a lopsided decision for the second year in a row. The Sharks earned a 4-0 win in the Kings' home opener last year.
Goaltender Martin Jones, a former King who was acquired by the Sharks in an offseason trade with the Boston Bruins, shook off the early goal before blanking Los Angeles the rest of the way. Jones stopped 19 of 20 shots.
Goalie Jonathan Quick saved 27 of 32 shots for the Kings (0-1).
Right winger Joonas Donskoi capped the Sharks' with a deflection of a Pavelski shot to score at 3:31 of the third period.
The Kings wasted little time scoring. Center Nick Shore deflected a shot from right winger Dustin Brown past Jones and into the net for a 1-0 Los Angeles lead at 1:49 of the first period.
Thornton tied the score at 1 by smoking a shot from the circle over Quick's shoulder at 9:43 of the first.
After Shore went to the box for a delay penalty, Pavelski gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead six seconds later, redirecting a blast by Burns and past Quick for a power-play goal with 4:08 remaining in the first.
Burns increased the margin to 3-1 by converting a pass from Pavelski and firing a rocket past Quick at 6:07 of the second period.
Center Tomas Hertl added another power-play goal for the Sharks with a tip-in, giving San Jose a 4-1 advantage at 8:14 of the second.
NOTES: An announced crowd of 18,238 attended. ... San Jose signed D Cavan Fitzgerald to a standard entry-level contract Wednesday. The 19-year-old led the Halifax Mooseheads (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) in points for defensemen with three goals and two assists in seven games this season. Fitzgerald participated in the Sharks' training camp last month as an undrafted free agent and played well enough to land a deal. "I'm still kind of on cloud nine," Fitzgerald said. ... San Jose scratched RW Ben Smith and D Dylan Demelo. D Brayden McNabb, D Derek Forbort and C Jordan Weal were unavailable for Los Angeles. ... The Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks in their home opener Saturday, while the Kings meet the visiting Arizona Coyotes in the second contest of their five-game homestand Friday.