You’ve come a long way, baby.
The state of California will finally host a hockey spectacle. Saturday’s NHL Stadium Series game between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks that will be played at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, will be sold out with more than 70,000 fans and a national TV audience. The Stadium Series game will serve as a celebration for hockey’s phenomenal growth from very modest beginnings in the state of sunshine, beaches and palm trees. Coverage will begin on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET.
The great expansion of 1967 reached into the state of California with the Los Angeles Kings and Oakland, later California Golden, Seals. The Kings would flirt with success and developing a following for most of their first 21 years of existence before the arrival of Wayne Gretzky turned them into a hot fad and triggered the Sun Belt expansion era that we have witnessed most recently. As for the infamous Seals, they have gone down as the most beloved failed franchise in sports history. But go down they did.
The NHL wisely gave Northern California a second chance in 1991 with the expansion franchise granted to the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have been a great success at the box office and in the community, but have a heart breaking bridesmaid history of close calls of glory on the ice.
As for the Kings they are now the hottest ticket in Los Angeles with a sellout streak that dates back several years thanks in large part to raising two Stanley Cup banners to the rafters. With the Anaheim Ducks also emerging as a consistent winner, along with the big crowds, increased TV ratings, and the explosion of youth hockey, Minnesota may have a new and bona fide rival in California as to who deserves the title of The State of Hockey.
Sharks Slide in Standings and at Gate
The biggest part of the Sharks and their heart ache comes from last year when they jumped out to a 3-0 series lead over the Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs only to blow the next four games and the series. The Sharks were looking like a bona fide Stanley Cup team when they took a stranglehold of that series but it was instead the Kings who hoisted hockey’s Holy Grail last June.
And it appears now as if the Sharks are still suffering from the after effects of that debacle. The Sharks are struggling with seven losses in their last nine games. The building is not quite a full as the past. Sharks fans are still turned off by the empty rants and threats made by general manager Doug Wilson after the playoff loss to the Kings. As it turned out little was done besides the firing of TV analyst Drew Remenda, who ranked as one of the most popular members of the organization. The chest pumping antics of Wilson that did not result a new quality goaltender, quality defenseman or reliable scorer have all served to annoy what was one of the most loyal fan bases in the NHL.
The Sharks are tied with the Kings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and panic has set in. San Jose’s once prolific offense has slumped to 15th in the NHL for goal scoring while their defense and goaltending has become a liability with a rank of 23rd for goals against.
Champs Flip the Switch but Problems Remain
The Kings have long been known as the ultimate playoff team that often coasts through large portions of the regular season. The Kings took a little longer than normal but have finally turned on their game with six wins in a row with the heavy hard hitting style that makes them a team that opponents dread to face.
Los Angeles has had to overcome a depleted defense corps and that thin blue line remains a concern for their long term playoff viability. Number two defenseman and power play quarterback Slava Voynov is out facing domestic violence charges. Veteran stalwart Willie Mitchell is now captain of the Florida Panthers. 2014 Stanley Cup hero Alex Martinez remains questionable with a head issue, and heavy hitting shut down ace Rockin’ Roby Regehr has missed significant time with a variety of issues.
The lack of quality defensive depth has put more of the load on Norris Trophy contender Drew Doughty to carry the unit. Doughty is carrying a workload in which he is averaging nearly 30 minutes per game of ice time which is likely to wear him down for the playoffs. The Kings have the well-deserved reputation as the ultimate shutdown team in a shutdown league but opponents are getting higher quality scoring chances this year, as evidenced by goaltender Jonathan Quick’s drop to a .910 save percentage. Quick has a career save percentage of .914 and peaked at .929 in the Kings first Stanley Cup title season.
Kings to Watch
Quick is still considered an elite goalie that most any team in the NHL would welcome with open arms. Center Anze Kopitar is arguably the best two-way forward in the game. Center Jeff Carter has a nose for the net like few other players in the game. Doughty is among the most complete defensemen in the modern game. Right wing Marion Gaborik can still fly and has among the most accurate shots in the game. Gaborik was a key pickup by general manager Dean Lombardi last year and played a key role in the Kings Stanley Cup run. Carter, Tyler Toffoli and Dwight King have combined for 27 points in nine games since the All Star Break. Martinez, who is questionable with a head injury for this one, scored the Cup winning goal last June for the Kings and is a Californian. He is emblematic of the game’s growth in the state.
Sharks to Watch
Center Joe Pavelski has 31 goals and has an inspiring story of being a former seventh round draft pick in 2003. Veteran center Joe Thornton, who has shouldered much of the blame for the Sharks post season failures, has 12 goals and 39 assists. Former captain and fellow veteran center Patrick Marleau has 11 goals and 31 assists while also having to carry the burden of blame for the Sharks playoff failures. Center Logan Couture has added 21 goals for San Jose.
