Kings Canâ€t Catch A Break In Shootouts

In a tight Pacific Division showdown at San Jose, the Los Angeles Kings lose a heartbreaker in overtime to the Sharks, 4-3, resulting in the same pattern of Kings losses.

San Jose struck first. Adam Gaudette and Ty Dellandrea opened the game to score a pair of goals, putting the Sharks at a 2-0 lead. Los Angeles would rally late in the first period with Joel Armia cutting the lead in half, giving the Kings some spark of energy to end the period.

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In the second period, Anze Kopitar tied the game after a great shot that went past Cody Ceci and Trevor Moore into the net. The Sharks, though, would never quit, as they answered back quickly to restore the lead.

However, late in the third period with just under a minute left, Adrian Kempe scored to make it 3-3, off the excellent feed from Kevin Fiala and Kopitar. The goal was set again for another thrilling overtime game in which the Kings have gone nine times this season and now, with the loss, have a 4-5 record in the extra period.

Neither team could score in overtime, so it went to a shootout. In the shootout, the Kings missed all their chances to score and win, giving the Sharks plenty of chances to convert and secure the win.

The Kings did hold some advantages during the match. They outshot the Sharks 34-24 and won more than half the faceoffs, 53.33 vs 46.7. But those numbers donâ€t mean anything if the visiting team comes up short on the ice.

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The Sharks were the more physical team with 26 hits to Los Angeles†12, consistently making it challenging for the Kings. Despite the loss, the Kings still ended their road 4-2, losing the last two games in Washington and now in San Jose, but had a good stretch and have turned their season around.

But the one thing Los Angeles still struggles with is its inability to convert in shootout situations when they’re presented.

Next up, Los Angeles will return home tomorrow to host the Boston Bruins at 10:30 P.M. EST.

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