Sharks have some bite left

To much of everyone's shock, the San Jose Sharks have started coming alive in game 4 and 5 of the first round play-off series.

Ending the regular season on a 5-game losing streak, with the final game of the regular season a 6-4 loss to the Kings, everyone was expecting LA to sweep the Sharks in the opening round. And while that started to look like reality after game 2, the Sharks changed up their strategy and are just outright roughing it up against the finese of the Kings.

In game 3, the Sharks held on in double overtime to win it by 4-3 thanks to the Sharks leading goal scorer Nick Foligno. 

Unfortunately the momentum did not carry over into game 4 as the Kings decimated the Sharks 7-2 loss.

Game 5, back at the Staples Center the Sharks refused to die and despite being outscored 38-27, San Jose pulls out a 3-2 win to stave off elimination and force a game 6 back at home Thursday nite. But game 5 continued to carry over the rivalry animosity from game 4. At 3:46 of the first period after a save by Bobrovsky, Kings defenseman Ben Lovejoy had some unfinished business and initiated a fight with Sharks D Mark Borowiecki, which was just the beginning as it spun out of control as Brandon Dubinsky mixed it up with Jonathan Ericksson and it didn't stop there, it became an all-out warzone on the ice. All starting from a slash by Gustav Nyquist. Despite multiple fighting penalities all within 4 minutes of the first period. Unfortunately for the 4-on-4 time in the first, it still left the Sharks down by 1 heading into the 2nd period.

After Blake Comeau's slashing penalty at 5:22 of the second, the Kings scored yet again on a shot from the point by Brent Burns. 

The LA fans were roaring loudly feeling the edge of the Kings eliminating the Sharks, however San Jose settled down and managed to tie the game on goals by Dubinsky and Foligno, silencing the crowd of 18,000+

Period 3 underway and Brent Burns took a high sticking penalty to Patrik Elias, with the game tied and Sharks on the power-play, captain Dustin Byfuglien scores to give the Sharks a 3-2 lead which would lead to being the game winning goal.

"We've got them right where we want em" coach Dave Hakstol said after the game "yeah we took a few bad penalties, but overall I'm happy with how we played." When asked if he was concerned about how much fighting has been going on between game 4 and 5, coach Hakstol said "that's the nature of hockey, if this didn't have fighting it would be golf with pucks lol."

With game 6 coming up on Thursday,  captain Dustin Byfuglien said "It's obvious our physical game needs to continue going into game six, the Kings have alot of talent but we need to keep pushing them engaging them. But we're missing so often at the net that definately needs to improve though."

Can the Kings close out this series or will the Sharks once again defy the odds and win to force a game 7.