If the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings meet again, it will be in the playoffs. If they do so, the Sharks will hold quite a bit of a recent edge.
They defeated them in the first round of the 2016 playoffs and won the 2016-17 season series with the Kings after beating L.A. in a tight 3-2 affair on Wednesday.
During a week where leads have been flimsy and goals came in flurries, this one started off pretty hot. The Sharks generated a 2-1 lead in the first period, and then the two teams exchanged goals in the second, with Joe Pavelski’s goal ultimately standing as the game-winner.
The Sharks won after a scoreless third period, keeping them in a position to take back first place in the Pacific Division:
1. Ducks - 59 points in 47 games
2. Oilers - 57 in 47
3. Sharks - 56 in 45
San Jose has an opportunity to make up that ground with its games in hand. The Kings, on the other hand, see their margin of error for a wild card spot dwindling:
Second wild card spot: Kings, 48 points in 45 games
Canucks - 48 in 46
Predators - 47 in 44
Stars - 46 in 46
Jets - 46 in 48
The Sharks made life easier for themselves while making it tougher for the Kings. If that’s the end of their interactions for 2016-17, Sharks fans should be quite happy.