Jonathan Quick (32) Los Angeles Kings goaltender congratulates teammate and starting goaltender Phoenix Copley (29) after defeating the visiting San Jose Sharks at Crypto.com Arena on Wed Jan 11, 2023 (Los Angeles Kings photo)
By Matthew Harrington
The San Jose Sharks scored their first power play goal of 2023 but it wasn’t enough to stave off a season sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings Wednesday night in LA. Nick Bonino scored an un assisted goal and Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl lit the lamp but a pair of third period goals boosted the Kings to a 4-3 victory.
Adrian Kempe started the scoring for the Kings, beating James Reimer 5:59 into the game for a 1-0 lead. Kempe shoveled a puck fed from Quentin Byfield below the goalline past Reimer’s opposite side pad for his 18th goal of the year.
The Kings would fire 22 shots on Reimer but he stood tall apart from the one blemish, giving Bonino a chance to tie the game 1:20 into the 2nd period. LA goalie Pheonix Copley flubbed a shot from Erik Karlsson that went in and out of his glove. He tried to play the puck away from danger but heeled it, giving Bonino the gimme backhander for his 5th of the year.
Kings prospect Byfield scored his 1st goal of the year in 15 games, handing LA the 2-1 lead 6:58 into the 2nd on a netfront tip that beat Reimer five-hole. Timo Meier responded though, snapping am 0-for-16 power play drought when his wrister beat Copley at the 10:11 mark of the third period. Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson assisted on the goal.
The tie would last only 2:29 when Gabe Vilardi would beat Reimer with another slot tip for his 17th of the year. Drew Doughty then cashed in as a wide open trailer in what would become a 3-on-2 at the 13:33 mark for a 4-2 lead.
Tomas Hertl scored as the Sharks were attempting to pull Reimer with 2:06 left in regulation. Alexander Barabanov took the shot that presumably knicked Hertl on the way in with Meier also getting an assist for his 2nd point of the night.
The Sharks return home for a three-game homestand before hitting the road for 8 games with the All-star break in between the away set.
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