Fear The Fin - All Posts

Sharks look to even the series in a crucial game four

2013-05-21T19:00:09Z

While the Sharks may have dodged a huge bullet by winning game three in overtime on Saturday, they still have some significant work to do. No, this series isn't over by any means, and yes, the argument could be made that the Sharks should be looking at a 2-1 or even 3-0 series lead if it wasn't for the play of Jonathan Quick.

However, history still isn't smiling too brightly on the San Jose Sharks.

As is currently stands, and as you currently know, the Sharks trail the Kings 2-1 after dropping the first two away games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. One hundred and fifteen NHL teams have been in that same situation (LOSS-AWAY, LOSS-AWAY, WIN-HOME) and only twenty five have come back to win the series.

Before you go cry in a corner, though, let me preemptively wipe away those tears. Did you know that of the twenty five teams to wrangle a win in the series after trailing 2-1, eight times it has been our Sharks? Despite all the heartache that's been associated with our franchise, that's a really nice statistic.

Let's keep adding on the good stats. When the LA Kings are leading a series 2-1, they've only won the next game in the series once out of their last six tries. And when the Sharks are trailing in a series 2-1, the boys in teal are a healthy 7-4. If the Sharks can get another win at home, and the way they've played there's a great shot of them doing just that, the series is pretty much a crapshoot best-of-three.

Much of this doesn't matter when you consider the sample size, but I've also been combing through some super advanced stats. These are the things that Neutral and Snark don't even catch, and I think I might be on to some really significant ones. Keep your eye out for these in the next few games (I understand if you can't catch them though, as they are SUPER ADVANCED. In fact, these stats have an ASL/AS [Advanced stat level per advanced stat] that's astronomical).

BGrow/Gm (Beard Growth Per Game)

Brent Burns has been one of the best Sharks on the ice this entire season, especially after he was moved to forward. However, it's hard to really explain his rapid increase in quality of play.

I've gone through the tape and analyzed the beard of Brent Burns, and quickly come to the conclusion that he has the downright best BGrow/Gm of any current NHL player. Can go from sparse "forgot my razor at home this weekend" beard to "missing in woods for six months" beard in the span of just a few contests. Can't be a coincidence.

hACT/hPER (Heart Actual / Heart Perceived)

While Patrick Marleau still catches a bad rap in the media for what has been called a lack of heart, his five goals and three assists in just seven postseason games indicate that his actual heart measurement is more GDAC (another advanced stat, GDAC stands for "Grinch Day After Christmas") than it is GDBC.

The Sharks will continue to rely heavily on Marleau throughout the series, but I would suggest he gets checked out for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy after the series.

QUALSIB (Quality of Siblings)

This is a crazy one, because Logan Couture is absolutely killing it in this series, overcoming an extraordinarily low QUALSIB. I am going to have to continue digging on this one.

DIU/60 (Douchin' It Up per 60)

This number skyrocketed for the Sharks in game one of the series, but dropped in games two and three, for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. Still high when Andrew Desjardins is on the ice.

We'll see how these factors play out when the Sharks take to the ice tonight. Here's hoping they point to a Sharks win and an even series.

Game 4

LAK leads 2-1

7PM PST | HP Pavilion | San Jose, California
TV: CSNCA-HD, NBCSN | Radio: 98.5 KFOX, SJSharks.com
Know Your Enemy: Jewels From The Crown, Battle Of California, The Royal Half

Projected Sharks Lineup

Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Joe Pavelski
T.J. Galiardi - Joe Thornton - Brent Burns
James Sheppard - Scott Gomez - Tommy Wingels
Bracken Kearns - Andrew Desjardins - Jason Demers

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun
Matt Irwin - Dan Boyle
Scott Hannan - Brad Stuart

Antti Niemi
Thomas Greiss

Projected Kings Lineup

Dustin Brown - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Dwight King - Mike Richards - Jeff Carter
Dustin Penner - Trevor Lewis - Tyler Toffoli
Brad Richardson - Colin Fraser - Kyle Clifford

Robyn Regehr - Drew Doughty
Rob Scuderi - Slava Voynov
Jake Muzzin - Keaton Ellerby

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

Sharks vs. Kings, Game 3: By the Numbers

2013-05-19T17:30:07Z

Even-strength statistics

Player	TOI	Corsi For	Corsi Against	Corsi +/-	Chances For	Chances Against	Chances +/-
Brad Stuart	17.3	26	18	+8	1	2	-1
Joe Pavelski	16.5	21	17	+4	5	2	+3
Martin Havlat	4.0	1	7	-6	1	0	+1
Andrew Desjardins	10.8	10	10	+0	3	2	+1
Patrick Marleau	15.0	19	18	+1	5	2	+3
James Sheppard	10.8	6	9	-3	1	4	-3
Joe Thornton	15.7	37	12	+25	6	0	+6
T.J. Galiardi	14.7	32	15	+17	4	0	+4
Dan Boyle	16.1	17	21	-4	5	0	+5
Scott Gomez	15.2	11	22	-11	1	3	-2
Scott Hannan	13.9	23	14	+9	1	2	-1
Bracken Kearns	9.5	6	7	-1	1	1	+0
Logan Couture	13.1	14	14	+0	3	1	+2
Marc-Edouard Vlasic	18.9	23	22	+1	6	4	+2
Matt Irwin	16.2	20	15	+5	5	0	+5
Tommy Wingels	12.2	12	20	-8	1	3	-2
Justin Braun	20.2	25	21	+4	6	4	+2
Brent Burns	14.3	30	12	+18	4	0	+4
Team	51.2	67	55	+12	13	6	+7

Logan Couture will receive a lion's share of the glory for last night's win, and rightfully so after returning from injury to score the overtime winner. But that was a performance for the ages by Joe Thornton. While his line didn't register on the scoreboard (although he did record an assist on Couture's goal), they ravaged the Kings territorially every single time they were on the ice. L.A. simply didn't have an answer for Jumbo.
After a productive Game 2, Scott Gomez and Tommy Wingels struggled while going up exclusively against the Kings' bottom six. That probably had more than a little to do with Martin Havlat's injury forcing the coaching staff to shuffle the deck at left wing on that line but the Sharks need a stronger effort from Gomez in particular if he's going to be playing sheltered minutes as the team's third-line center.
Speaking of Havlat's injury, he appeared visibly hobbled even in the few minutes he did play. I'd be surprised if he returns to this series but I'm also not really convinced Bracken Kearns and Tim Kennedy should both draw into the lineup. I wonder if rolling the dice on Freddie Hamilton or Sebastian Stalberg wouldn't be the worst idea.
They still trail in the series but the Sharks have been the better team in every game. This just isn't the same Kings team we saw a year ago, who I'm pretty confident would have just about dusted the Sharks off by now. San Jose really doesn't have to change anything in order to have a very good shot at completing the comeback here with Jonathan Quick the only thing standing in their way.

Head-to-head scoring chances
(Click to enlarge)

Mike Richards has historically struggled against Joe Thornton but last night's matchup was as one-sided as it gets. Not only does the Thornton line dominating Richards have the obvious effect of generating scoring opportunities for the Sharks, it also renders Richards and Jeff Carter complete non-factors offensively as they were at evens last night.
Marleau and Pavelski were able to hold Kopitar in check by both the scoring chance and possession data (as well as, of course, on the scoreboard). If this is repeatable, it's a similar formula to what the Sharks used to beat Vancouver; have the Marleau line saw off possession with the opposition's big guns and have Thornton run roughshod over their second line.

For more information on what these numbers mean, head here for an in-depth explanation of Corsi and here for more details on scoring chances.

Couture returns from injury to beat LA in overtime

2013-05-19T04:55:38Z

I love hearing HP Pavilion during the playoffs. You could tell immediately how pumped the fans were before game 3 against the Los Angeles Kings, and it seemed to translate to the Sharks early on. Before the fans could even get settled in, the Sharks gave them a reason to stand right back up.

In a hilarious turn of events, Jake Muzzin shot the puck out of play for a delay of game penalty 90 seconds in. And about 3 seconds after that, Dan Boyle scored off the faceoff. 1-0 Sharks – Boyle from Marleau and Pavelski at 1:34 of the first period. You can’t overlook the play of Joe Thornton screening in front of the net on that play. Great play set up by the entire team.

Later in the first, Jeff Carter gets called for a trip at 7:52. Although it was a strong powerplay, the Kings did kill it off. Soon after, Tyler Toffoli picked off an errant pass by Brad Stuart in the defensive zone. 1-1 tie – Toffoli ~~from Stuart~~ unassisted at 10:08 of the first period. That’s a play Stuart should not make. Hopefully Jason Demers can return soon to give that pair a legitimate puck mover for the sake of the breakout.

Another great chance for Boyle about 15 minutes in with the Thornton line out there. After a faceoff, Joe Thornton had a chance at the side of the net, but put it off the side of the cage. Good to see Todd McLellan expoiting the Thornton-Richards match-up. Jumbo’s been getting the better of him in this series. As we mentioned on Twitter, the Sharks outshot the Kings 7-1 in the first period on that matchup.

Late in the first, there was a HUGE hit along the boards by Brad Stuart on Justin Williams. It was a beautiful, clean hit by Stuart. Insert suspension joke here. Also, INSERT THE .GIF!!!

Very early in the second period, Scott Hannan was shaken up as he slid to the ice to try to block a shot. He would get checked out in the dressing room. He would return later in the period. But injuries were the story of the middle frame. After Hannan left, Havlat went missing from the bench as well, and Logan Couture appeared to get injured as well. If Logan missed any number of games, this series would be over. Luckily, Couture would return by the end of the period.

Frustration did start showing on Marc-Edouard Vlasic as he took a roughing penalty for a couple slashes, and about five crosscheks to Dustin Brown into boards. The Sharks were able to kill the penalty, thus making it pretty hilarious. Pickles is such a goon.

The Sharks temporary line of Marleau, Pavelski and Desjardins combined for a phenomenal chance that Quick was somehow able to stop. In a related story, Jonathan Quick is wanted in about a dozen states and a few provinces for highway robbery.

Despite the makeshift lineups, you can’t say the Sharks didn’t hold their own. In fact, they probably outplayed the Kings in the second period. They outshot Los Angeles 14-7, and seemed to limit the Kings chances while getting a few mad scrambles in front of Quick.

Joe Thornton nearly started the third period with a wraparound off a bad Kings turnover, but he couldn’t put it past Quick. The Sharks did get quite a few pucks to the net early, while the Kings only seemed able to tie up the Sharks along the boards when the puck was in the San Jose zone.

After about five minutes of play, the Kings did start getting into a rhythm. Dustin Penner, in particular had a very strong chance, but was robbed by Antti Niemi. While Niemi hasn’t been as frustrating to opposing players as Quick has been in this series, he has been very solid in net.

San Jose had a huge opportunity late as Dustin Brown gets called for a slash on Joe Pavelski with just 5:16 left in regulation. Unfortunately, they could not convert, and it would remain 1-1. In the final minute, as Gomez was behind the net and trying to feed a crashing Tommy Wingels. Wingels is able to draw a key penalty as Robyn Regehr goes to the box for hooking. Only 41.7 seconds left as the Sharks take over on the man advantage.

Couture gets a couple shots from the point, but LA was able to come down on a two on one. With Marleau and Trevor Lewis barreling into Niemi, Mike Richards has the puck in the slot, but the shot is blocked and Lewis gets called for goaltender interference! The last few seconds tick off the clock for regulation, but the Sharks will start overtime with a 5-on-3 for the first 1:19.

After a clear to start the period, the Sharks get set up in the offensive zone. San Jose took their time and got a good rebound chance, but the Kings cleared it out. One penalty ends as a shot bounces off a player in front. Logan Couture is there, and he roofs it over Quick! 2-1 Sharks – Couture from Marleau and Thornton at 1:28 of the overtime period.

SHARKS WIN!

-Martin Havlat returned for this game, as many speculated he would. He found himself on a line with Scott Gomez and Tommy Wingels. That line would change when Havlat left the game, with James Sheppard and Bracken Kearns taking his spot.

-Scott Gomez would get in a bit of a scrap with Mike Richards in the last 30 seconds of the second. Normally, I’d take that trade off, but with the way Thornton dominated him, I want to keep Richards out there as much as possible.

-The beards of Joe Thornton and Brent Burns are glorious. That is all.

-By the way, just so I can comment: What the fuck, NHL? $100,000 fine for this? If you thought the way Doug Wilson responded was inappropriate, I'd like to introduce you to Megalodon from Battle of California.

FTF 3 Stars

1st Star: Logan Couture

2nd Star: Jonathan Quick

3rd Star: Dan Boyle

The Sharks now have a few days off to rest and heal before game 4 on Tuesday. They'll need it. But they'll have the chance to tie up the series at home, and you have to be happy with that. Go Sharks!

Game 3: Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

2013-05-19T00:30:29Z

After a heart-breaking loss in game 2, the Sharks try for their first win in the series as they host the Los Angeles Kings tonight at 6:00 pm.

I love hockey. It's something I say pretty often after watching a great Sharks' victory, but it's just as evident after a devastating loss. And I know I'm not alone.

The fact we can put so much passion into following a team, and have so much riding on the bounce of a puck is beautiful. The power it has is almost magical. Personally, I know I've never been more sure about spending my career covering this sport.

Wins can turn even the crappiest days a bit brighter. And the losses can hurt just about as much. And game 2 hurt. A lot. It may have hurt more than any game since the quadruple-overtime thriller in Dallas back in the 2008 playoffs. Game 2 was able to turn bright to dark in about 22 seconds. It was quite the punch to the gut.

But did a loss like that make me want to stop watching? No. Quite the opposite, in fact. After watching game 2, game 3 couldn't come soon enough. I couldn't wait for another opportunity. I would have watched another game that night, if I could. Bring on another gamble. Bring on another rush. Bring on game 3.

Game 3

LA leads 2-0

Projected Sharks Lineup

T.J. Galiardi - Joe Thornton - Brent Burns

Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Martin Havlat*

Andrew Desjardins - Joe Pavelski - Tommy Wingels

James Sheppard - Scott Gomez - Tim Kennedy

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun

Matt Irwin - Dan Boyle

Brad Stuart - Jason Demers*

Antti Niemi

Thomas Greiss

*If we all close our eyes and wish really hard, maybe both of them will be cleared to play. If one of you doesn't believe hard enough, then just refer back to the lineup for the last game.

Projected Kings Lineup

Dustin Brown - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams

Dwight King - Mike Richards - Jeff Carter

Dustin Penner - Brad Richardson - Trevor Lewis

Jordan Nolan - Colin Fraser - Tyler Toffoli

Robyn Regehr - Drew Doughty

Rob Scuderi - Slava Voynov

Jake Muzzin - Alec Martinez

Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Bernier

With Adam Burish hurt for the series, and Raffi Torres suspended for the series, depth has become an issue for the Sharks. But they might be getting some reinforcements soon. According to Kevin Kurz, Martin Havlat may be very close to returning. From the sounds of things, it wouldn't be surprising to see Havlat skating in warm-ups tonight whether he'll be playing tonight or not. But let's hope he does. Bringing Marty back into the fold gives the team so many more options. And he may provide the spark the team needs to finally put them over the top against this strong Kings team.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2. Goals by Havlat (x2) and Shepard. Meanwhile, 17,562 Sharks fans blow the fucking roof off the Tank. Go Sharks.

Sharks vs. Kings Game 3 Preview: It's about time

2013-05-18T19:00:05Z

I love hockey. It's something I say pretty often after watching a great Sharks' victory, but it's just as evident after a devastating loss. And I know I'm not alone.

Game 3

LA leads 2-0

Projected Sharks Lineup

T.J. Galiardi - Joe Thornton - Brent Burns

Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Martin Havlat*

Andrew Desjardins - Joe Pavelski - Tommy Wingels

James Sheppard - Scott Gomez - Tim Kennedy

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun

Matt Irwin - Dan Boyle

Brad Stuart - Jason Demers*

Antti Niemi

Thomas Greiss

*If we all close our eyes and wish really hard, maybe both of them will be cleared to play. If one of you doesn't believe hard enough, then just refer back to the lineup for the last game.

Projected Kings Lineup

Dustin Brown - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams

Dwight King - Mike Richards - Jeff Carter

Dustin Penner - Brad Richardson - Trevor Lewis

Jordan Nolan - Colin Fraser - Tyler Toffoli

Robyn Regehr - Drew Doughty

Rob Scuderi - Slava Voynov

Jake Muzzin - Alec Martinez

Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Bernier

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2. Goals by Havlat (x2) and Shepard. Meanwhile, 17,562 Sharks fans blow the fucking roof off the Tank. Go Sharks.

Who Should Sharks Fans Root For Out East?

2013-05-17T19:01:56Z

Well. Anything happen last night? How are we all feeling around here?

While we await the return of second-round playoff action to HP Pavilion (and hopefully two consecutive Jonathan Quick meltdown), you may be occupying your time by checking in on the other series out east. If you're like me, unless a series is the perfect mix of skill and grit, it's hard to watch a neutral match-up. For the Eastern Conference, this is particularly true since we wind up not rooting for/against potential playoff opponents.

But never fear, Sharks faithful. There's a teal reason to cheer for each of the remaining Eastern Conference teams. Let's take a trip down memory lane with players that stole your hearts (and your money, if you bought their jerseys).

New York Rangers: Ryane Clowe
Ah, Ryane Clowe -- a player as inconsistent as the myth version of Patrick Marleau, except with the magnificent ability to cheat in the middle of a game. At his peak, Clowe was an immovable object along the boards, a strong crease presence, and a dynamite shootout specialist. At his worst, well, he sure could help win the shootout. Still, the oft-injured Clowe was a fan favorite despite his diminishing returns.

Ryane Clowe Flashback: This old Sharks segment.

Day in the Life - Ryane Clowe (1/3) (via streakypro)

Ottawa Senators: Milan Michalek

The king of San Jose knee injuries, Michalek was a fine speedy two-way forward for the Sharks who never quite lived up to his first-round potential until he left in the Dany Heatley trade. Watching Michalek score 35 goals for the Senators while playing strong on both sides of the puck -- and while Heatley struggled in teal was particularly frustrating, though the injury bug followed Michalek to the Canadian capital (he missed 20 games in this year's shortene season). Now one of Ottawa's top-line forwards, the Sharks sure could have used him instead of the sequence of deals that inevitably stuck them with Martin Havlat.

Milan Michalek Flashback: Ol' Milan wasn't just about speed and finesse. Sometimes he just wanted to sock Corey Perry in the face real good. Can you blame him?

Corey Perry vs Milan Michalek (via adamshockeysite)

Pittsburgh Penguins: Douglas Murray

Oh, Crankshaft, our supermutant defenseman capable of pouring our beer and drinking it too -- all while banging Tiger Woods' ex and delivering some of the biggest hits in Sharks history. Douglas "Don't Call Me Doug" Murray was never the fleetest of foot and the last two seasons saw a decline following a few years of being Dan Boyle's partner. Still, it's hard to have any hard feelings about a dude who could destroy opposing forwards AND pass an Ivy League class.

Douglas Murray Flashback: Not really a look back, but here's his LinkedIn profile.

Boston Bruins: Joe Thornton
"The Sharks now have another Thornton: Joe Thornton from the Boston Bruins." -- Randy Hahn during the San Jose/Dallas intermission where The Trade was announced.

Some Bruins fans claim that Boston would have never won the Stanley Cup had they kept Joe Thornton, and there may be some truth in that. Without bottoming out, the Bruins may have never assembled the roster and coaching staff that won the 2011 Cup...but maybe they would have won two Cups WITH him. It's a bit hard to tell since there's no player-for-player move that directly built the Cup team. However, we do know that Joe Thornton has been Mr. Everything for the Sharks, and his elevated performance in all three zones, has shown a true evolution into an all-around player. A surefire future Hall Of Famer, there's no doubt that Thornton. It all started with an exceedingly lopsided deal coming from Beantown, and for that, Sharks fans are eternally grateful.

Joe Thornton Flashback: Everyone probably remembers Jumbo's first shift with that rocket off the post in Buffalo, but here's the actual Randy-and-Drew segments against Dallas when it happened.

Joe Thornton trade 11-30-2005 (via Puckguy14)

Sharks collapse late in the third, trail Kings 2-0 in series

2013-05-17T06:50:04Z

At least the Sharks can take comfort in the fact that their third period collapse wasn't the most embarrassing one to occur in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this week.

A penalty kill unit that at times was the team's backbone during the regular season and their first-round sweep of Vancouver was victimized twice in 22 seconds as the Sharks watched the 3-2 lead they held with less than two minutes remaining in the third period turn into a 4-3 Los Angeles win that puts the Kings up 2-0 heading into San Jose.

But what shouldn't be lost in the fray of the Sharks failing to close out a series-tying win is that they played a pretty damn good game, controlling play for much of the first two periods. Moral victories certainly don't mean much in the playoffs but the Kings might have a more difficult time closing this series out than many expect, particularly in light of the way the Sharks managed to lose this one.

After the Sharks opened the game by stringing together a few dominant shifts, Jeff Carter collected the aftermath of a missed shot by Logan Couture, streaked down the right wing and scored one of the weaker goals Antti Niemi has allowed this postseason. Drew Doughty staked the Kings to a 2-0 lead with a power play blast from just beyond the right circle as cracks in the San Jose penalty kill unit manifested early. Still, the Sharks were more effective at winning the even-strength territorial battle while the game remained close than they were on Tuesday and pulled to within one when Patrick Marleau tapped in a three-way passing play immediately after the conclusion of a man advantage.

Brad Stuart tied the game on his first goal as a Shark since October 2005 off a pass from newfound third-line center Scott Gomez with James Sheppard and Tommy Wingels parked in front of Jonathan Quick. Gomez and Stuart figured in once again midway through the third as Marc-Edouard Vlasic, after being boarded by Jeff Carter late in the second, tucked a puck past Quick on a delayed penalty. Much like the Kings in Game 1, the Sharks were content to sit on their third period lead. Unlike the Kings in Game 1, the Sharks got into penalty trouble.

Although the roughing call on James Sheppard, which San Jose managed to survive, was questionable, subsequent penalties to Stuart and Vlasic were not. After Stuart was whistled for tripping Tyler Toffoli a little past the 17-minute mark, Vlasic--who at the time had the opportunity to ensure his first career playoff goal would hold up as the winner--popped a puck over the glass and into the stands, triggering an automatic minor and resulting in an extended 5-on-3 for Los Angeles. Logan Couture failed to clear the zone despite regaining possession in the slot and Doughty set up a play down low for the Kings that Dustin Brown put away to tie the score.

Twenty-two seconds later, with the Kings still on the power play, Toffoli gained the blueline unimpeded and fired a shot that Niemi kicked right into the slot for Trevor Lewis. He provided the dagger and all of a sudden the Kings snatched a 2-0 series lead out of the jaws of losing home-ice advantage. A lot will be said on one end about how the Sharks' collapse was predictable (which it wasn't, in that no one could have possibly foreseen two penalties in such quick succession) and on the other about how a series doesn't really begin until a team loses a home game (which doesn't really mitigate the sting of being down 2-0) but what's important is that, aside from making tactical changes to their shorthanded game, the Sharks ought not to dwell on how this game ended. The focus should be on extending their success through the first two periods and change over an entire game. Preferably Game 3.

If Games 1 and 2 (and, really, the entirety of their series against St. Louis despite the victory) are any indication, these aren't your Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. Don't get me wrong, they're still a terrific hockey team but the seemingly unbeatable juggernaut that set fire to the league last spring they are not. It's difficult to see them repeating as champs if they continue to play this way but the question of relevance to the Sharks is whether the Kings' downfall will come this round or at the hands of the Blackhawks in the Conference Final (or if they'll ride Quick to another Cup but let's just pretend that isn't an option, despite it very much being one, for the sake of this post). The answer will become quite a bit clearer on Saturday.

FTF Three Stars

1st Star: Tyler Toffoli
2nd Star: Trevor Lewis
3rd Star: Scott Gomez

Game 2: Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

2013-05-17T01:30:49Z

Raffi Torres won't be in the Sharks lineup tonight in Los Angeles as they look to tie their second round series with the Kings.

When the Sharks attempt to steal home-ice advantage by splitting the first two games of their second-round series against the Kings tonight in Los Angeles, they'll assuredly be without forward Raffi Torres following his controversial hit on Jarret Stoll in Game 1. What we somehow still don't know is how long that will be the case with a suspension verdict yet to be handed down by league disciplinary czar Brendan Shanahan.

Torres being out of the lineup is definitely a blow to the Sharks' forward depth, especially considering Martin Havlat remains injured and won't play, but given the line combinations Todd McLellan was running at today's morning skate, Torres' suspension actually improves the team's top six. Joe Pavelski will be playing right wing on a pretty awesome first line alongside Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture while the Thornton line remains unchanged. After struggling to counter Anze Kopitar (and Mike Richards, in their brief time against him) on Tuesday, Marleau and Couture will have a decidedly better linemate helping them get the job done tonight.

Obviously the Sharks' bottom six suffers with Pavelski moved up but with Stoll injured and unavailable, it's a less dangerous Los Angeles bottom six they will need to contend with. There are some legitimate positives the team can draw from their 2-0 Game 1 loss and with a stronger top line and the Kings' bottom six seemingly whittled down to a level more or less comparable to what the Sharks' third and fourth lines now look like, they have a pretty good chance at tying this series. Well, at least they will if they can find a way to beat Jonathan Quick.