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Sharks try to close out series with Kings

Apr 23, 2011 - 3:13 PM (Sports Network) - The second-seeded San Jose Sharks will try to wrap up their Western Conference quarterfinal series tonight, when they host the reeling Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 at HP Pavilion.

The Sharks have taken a three-games-to-one lead in this best-of-seven series by winning the last two tests in Los Angeles. The Kings blew a four-goal lead in a 6-5 loss in Game 3 and San Jose recorded a lopsided 6-3 victory in Thursday's Game 4.

Los Angeles has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series just once in its history. That was back in 1989 when the Kings ousted Edmonton in seven games of a division semifinal series.

San Jose has never lost a series when leading three-games-to-one.

Ryane Clowe netted a pair of goals and Antti Niemi stopped 35 shots to help the Sharks take the commanding lead in the series on Thursday. San Jose held a slim 3-2 edge heading into the third period, but scored twice within a 54- second span early in the third period to extend its advantage.

The Sharks would push the lead to 6-2 on Torrey Mitchell's tally at 11:42 of the third.

Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Jason Demers scored for the Sharks, who will try to punch their ticket to the conference semifinals for a second straight year. San Jose made it to the West finals last year before getting swept by Chicago.

"They're going to fight and they're going to claw," Thornton said. "The close- out games are always the toughest, so we have to really be ready and take this win and enjoy it for tonight, but get back to work tomorrow."

If San Jose fails to close the series tonight, the clubs will meet Monday in Los Angeles for Game 6.

Justin Williams, Brad Richardson and Alexei Ponikarovsky lit the lamp Thursday for the Kings. Jonathan Quick was tagged for all six goals on 27 shots in defeat.

"It's terrible, but in the playoffs when a game's over you start the next game with a clean slate," said Kings defenseman Jack Johnson. "That's just the way it is, win or lose, each game is a new game and a new beginning. There's no momentum carried over because each game means so much."

The seventh-seeded Kings are hoping to get a boost from the return of forward Scott Parse tonight. Parse had one goal and three assists in just five games this year before suffering a hip injury on Nov. 15 in San Jose. The centerman could skate on a line with Justin Williams and Michal Handzus tonight.

Los Angeles is back in the playoffs for a second straight year after missing the postseason tournament in the previous six seasons. The Kings, who lost to Vancouver in the first round last spring, haven't won a playoff series since beating Detroit in the opening round of the 2001 postseason.

The Sharks and Kings split six regular season games this year, but the Sharks held the points edge over LA with a 3-1-2 mark and posted a 6-1 home victory in the final meeting on April 4.

This is the first time the Sharks and Kings are meeting in the postseason.

San Jose was 25-11-5 as the host during the regular season, while the Kings, were 21-17-3 as the visiting team.