Another season-opener, another game in which the San Jose Sharks crushed the Los Angeles Kings.
Heck, it was even another game in which the Sharks won by four goals, as they beat the Kings 5-1 tonight.
(They began the 2014-15 season with a 4-0 win against the Kings, who were celebrating a banner-raising night.)
At times, things were hairier for the Kings than Brent Burns’ bushy beard.
Perhaps this second Joe Pavelski goal symbolized the struggles for Jonathan Quick & Co.:
Martin Jones was pretty fantastic against the Kings, as Los Angeles scored on its first shot, and then couldn’t beat him again. This was probably the save of the night:
There were plenty of ugly moments, from this Dustin Brown hit to Milan Lucic losing his cool at the end of the contest.
Circling back to that earlier point, Lucic rampaged across the ice after Logan Couture delivered an unexpected check on him, ultimately receiving a match penalty. The Kings might get a call or two from the Department of Player Safety due to various incidents.
NHL will look at Lucic match penalty, to review the automatic suspension, and will almost certainly take a look at Brown hit.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) October 8, 2015
Here’s a clip of Lucic’s actions, so you can decide for yourself:
In many ways, tonight’s game paralleled the Kings’ 2014-15 season and summer, as it was downright lousy.
The best thought for a team not that far removed from a title? It was just one game.
Still, there’s no doubt who came out on top this time.
Double points, double 'za for @Burnzie88! #PostgamePizza pic.twitter.com/CTTETKurxb
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 8, 2015