• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Kings, Sharks eye rebound efforts in LA

Dec 27, 2014 - 4:35 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Coming off only their second loss in 11 games, the San Jose Sharks seek to bounce back on Saturday night as they visit the Los Angeles Kings.

The Sharks had a five-game winning streak snapped with Monday's 3-2 overtime setback to the Anaheim Ducks. Joe Pavelski and Melker Karlsson had third- period goals to put San Jose ahead, but Anaheim tied the game later in the frame before getting a winner from Ryan Kesler at the 58-second mark of overtime.

Antti Niemi made 29 saves in defeat.

"To win in this building is tough," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said. "I think we have to take some satisfaction that we came from behind in the third."

Pavelski's goal was the 207th of his career, passing Owen Nolan for second place on the club's all-time goal-scoring list, while Karlsson netted his first NHL goal in his sixth career game.

Sharks forward John Scott will begin a four-game suspension tonight for hitting Ducks forward Tim Jackman in the face during the second period of Monday's game. Scott appeared to catch Jackman with both his glove and the butt end of his stick, with the Anaheim winger injured on the play.

Scott isn't eligible to return to action until Jan. 5.

The Kings also lost their last game before the Christmas break, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Calgary Flames.

But while the Sharks rallied to at one point take the lead in their last game, the Kings failed to hold a 3-0 advantage versus the Flames. Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau scored twice in the third period with his goaltender pulled to tie the game, and Mark Giordano had the winner with 53 seconds left in overtime.

Marian Gaborik, Jamie McBain, and Trevor Lewis each scored for the Kings, who had their two-game win streak come to an end and have lost six of past nine. Jonathan Quick made 24 saves.

"The score was not a good indication of the game," Kings head coach Darryl Sutter said. "Halfway through the game they had a lot more desperation than our team."

The Kings fell to 13-4-2 at home despite Gaborik extending his goal-scoring streak to five straight games. He has seven goals over that time, with the last five coming on the power play.

Los Angeles is 7-for-13 on the man advantage over the past three games.

Anze Kopitar assisted on Gaborik's goal and has logged nine helpers and 10 points over his past four games.

The Kings lost to the Sharks 4-0 in Los Angeles on Oct. 8 in the first of five meetings this season. That snapped San Jose's four-game series road losing streak and was only its second victory in its past 10 trips to Los Angeles.

Quick is 11-5-5 with a 2.56 goals against average and .909 save percentage in 22 games versus the Sharks, while Niemi has gone 13-6-3 with a 2.34 GAA and .925 save percentage in 23 meetings. Both goaltenders have three shutouts in this matchup as well.