SAN JOSE – The Sharks-Kings season opener at Staples Center was billed as a clash between two rival clubs that were both not pleased with finishing outside of the playoffs last spring. Amends would be made, starting on Wednesday night.
By the time it was through, the Sharks looked like a team that may legitimately be ready to move on from the ugliness of the past 17 months, while the Kings were puzzlingly lethargic and sloppy in front of their home crowd.
Everything went in San Jose’s favor in a dominant 5-1 win. New goaltender Martin Jones let in a goal on the first shot he ever faced in a Sharks sweater, but never lost his composure against his former team and stopped everything else.