Speed kills.
At least that’s what the Sharks hope happens starting Thursday when they visit the Kings to open their best-of-seven Western Conference NHL first-round playoff series.
San Jose wants to put pressure on the Los Angeles defense, which has a vastly different look than in recent years. Sure, Drew Doughty anchors the Kings’ blue line, and he’ll certainly log at least 30 minutes of ice time a night, but the rest of the L.A. roster isn’t nearly as experienced and playoff-tested after the Norris Trophy favorite.
The Sharks’ challenge is to consistently put pucks in deep, make the Kings turn and retrieve knowing there’s a price to be paid on the boards.