The Western Conference rivalry is renewed Thursday as the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks meet for the first of four meetings this season. The Sharks won four of six meetings against the Kings last season. The two teams area separated by two points in the conference standings, with the Kings holding a 30-28 edge. The Kings have not lost back-to-back games since Feb. 7-10 and do not look to start now.
The Kings are on an 11-4 roll after starting the season winning just three of their first 10 games. Their momentum has given the team much needed confidence to get back into the playoff picture. The Anaheim Ducks have an 11-point lead in the Pacific Division and the Kings will hope to close that gap on this next stretch of games. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has struggled against the Sharks in the past. He went 0-1-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average last season against the team. Defenseman Slava Voynov has nine points in the past six games and has played a large role in the hot streak. Jake Muzzin also has seven points in his last five games and will be essential to get the teams to the playoffs.
The Sharks have lost some momentum after Tuesday's loss to the St. Louis Blues. San Jose's goalie Antti Niemi is 3-1-0 with a 2.11 GAA in five career regular-season home starts against the Kings. Brent Burns returns to the lineup for his first game at home after missing seven games due to a lower-body injury. Burns will be moved to forward after normally playing a defenseman role. Forward Scott Gomez has four points in his past five games along with Matt Irwin having three points in his past three games.
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