Sharks Defeat Kings 4-3 in Shootout

The Los Angeles Kings (10-6-5) traveled to Northern California to take on their Pacific Division rival, the San Jose Sharks (10-8-3) on their home ice at SAP Center. This visit marked the Kings’ second-to-last stop on their final round trip for the month of November before the team travels to Anaheim next week.

It was a special night in San Jose as the Sharks organization honored former star and captain Joe Thornton for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. A ceremony was held for the beloved veteran, and a tribute was displayed on the bigger-than-life jumbotron as his family watched his special accomplishments alongside him. Thornton originally retired in October 2023; however, he was celebrated tonight for his recent induction.

On the ice, Yaroslav Askarov guarded his home net while Kings’ goaltender Anton Forsberg skated around his crease as he prepared for puck drop. Tonight promised to be an intense and competitive division matchup.

Sharks on Board

The first period was an explosion of sorts. From the second the puck dropped on the ice, the Sharks
“chomped away” as they fought to get on board first. With their luck, the first goal of the night was scored by Sharks’ center, Adam Gaudette, just 2:33 into the game. The wrist shot left netminder Forsberg stunned as they put the Kings in an early hole.

The Kings tried to bite back and tie the game as they appeared agitated and frustrated. It wasn’t until late in the period, at the 3:56 mark, that Joel Armia scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game 1-1. Luck did not last long for Los Angeles as the Sharks struck back with 10 seconds left on the clock. Ty Dellandrea sent a deflected shot past Forsberg as both teams headed into intermission, with San Jose up by one.

Kings Bite Back

Back for more, the second period opened with aggression and dominance from both the Sharks and Kings as they fought for every tooth and nail. The Kings attempted to sneak a few shots into Askarov’s net, but alas, the Russian netminder stood tall as a brick wall. It wasn’t until Kings’ captain Anže Kopitar won the faceoff against Dellandrea and scored a smooth backhand goal at the 18:13 mark.