Logan Couture knows if the Sharks are going to beat the Kings, they’ll need to start scoring some goals.
That means beating Jonathan Quick.
And that’s not easy.
“He’s in a zone right now,” Couture told CSN Bay Area. “He’s playing great. He’s seeing everything, compact with the puck, it’s hitting him and not coming off him.”
Quick is showing his Conn Smythe-winning form of a year ago.
After a shaky first two postseason games -- he blamed himself for both losses to the Blues -- the 27-year-old has been virtually lights-out.
He posted a 30-save shutout in Game 3 against St. Louis, then stopped 55 of 58 shots in Games 5 and 6 to close out the series.
Quick was again stellar in a Round 2-opening win over the Sharks, posting his second shutout in five games despite the Kings getting out-shot 35-20 on the night.
“It could have got out of reach quickly if Quickie wasn’t back there making some big saves,” Mike Richards said. “You could just tell he was seeing the puck well.”
Couture -- San Jose’s leading playoff scorer -- acknowledged that Quick is tough to beat, but said the Sharks can do more to try and bump him off his game.
“More traffic, more shots in succession,” Couture said. “He’s aggressive, he comes out of the blue [paint] and takes a lot of the net away. Shoot off of him. Rebounds.
“We’ve got to find a way.”