BEST LINE: Betfair +110

OT included. Is there anything in the Kings’ game that suggests they can turn this series around or even win a game? We think not. Los Angeles is being manhandled by the Sharks. Jonathan Quick has never been more fragile in his career, as the goals keep piling up against him and it’s not just been in the playoffs either. Quick’s last four games have seen him post save percentages of .825, .821, .875 and .833. Prior to that he had save percentages of .850 and .852 in two more games down the stretch. The Kings have allowed 17 goals against in their last three games and 13 against in the two games of this series. Furthermore, L.A. has just two wins over their last nine games (Edmonton and Phoenix) and now the players have lost confidence in themselves and in their goaltender.

It’s not going to be as easy in Los Angeles as it was at the Shark Tank but San Jose has too much value as a dog to ignore in this spot. The Sharks have been known as playoff chokes for years and this is an opportunity to remove any doubt. A loss here by San Jose gives the Kings life and allows those doubts to creep back in. San Jose wants none of that. They have a wounded prey at their mercy and teams with sights on the Stanley Cup do not let the opposition off the hook. The Sharkies can all but finish them off with an intense and extremely focused performance and that’s precisely what we expect from San Jose here. The Sharks have been in this position before in the playoffs and have allowed the opposition to take over the series. This year’s edition has to be different. There will be no complacency or no letting up. The Sharks have the horses, the talent, the speed and everything else that a contender needs to advance. They now have to show a killer instinct that has evaded them before. We’ll now see if this year’s team is different. We trust they are.