LOS ANGELES – Hit totals aren’t something a whole lot of NHL coaches pay attention to, as they tend to vary wildly from building to building.
But when it comes to games one and two of the Sharks-Kings first round playoff series, the inflated numbers are reflective of the way the games have been played. The teams combined for 68 hits in Game 1, and it was ramped up even more for Game 2 – both on the stat sheet and as witnessed by simply watching the game – with a combined 87 hits, including 47 by Los Angeles.