Sharks Vs. Kings, Game 3: Devin Setoguchi Gets OT Winner For San Jose In Instant Playoff Classic

We learned a lot about both the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. After jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead just 21 minutes into Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff game, the Kings quickly lost that lead after a big San Jose surge resulted in a 5-5 tie by the end of the second period. 

Things quieted down in the third period before Devin Setoguchi scored just three minutes into the first overtime period, completing one of the largest comebacks in Stanley Cup Playoff history. As SB Nation's Kings blog Jewels From The Crown wrote after the game, L.A.'s lack of experience cost them.

Another low point in the season: tonight, when the Kings were up 4-0 at the start of the second. I thought, okay, there's no way the rest of this game will be fun to watch. At best, it will be boring. At worst, well...

The Sharks showed composure when they were down 4-0. The Kings, up 4-0, did not. My  thought: the Kings are inexperienced and they allowed themselves to relax. Not a great idea.

The math of that is pretty simple. You play with discipline and as a result you win. But playing with discipline is hard and takes a lot of effort and hurts your brain. It would be so much easier just to do whatever you want and after all aren't I great, I've been great my whole life, I should be able to play "my game."  So once you start winning, there's a war going on regarding who gets the credit, the player or the system. And, it's human nature, at a certain point the players let their guard down and allow themselves to feel good about how great things are going. 

This kind of loss can certainly wake a team up. We know the Kings can hang with the Sharks and potentially even win this series against the No. 2 seed in the West, but it's going to take a bit more maturity and a little more urgency for that to happen.

The Kings had a remarkable start. It began early on, when Trevor Lewis found Willie Mitchell breaking down the wing to get a wrister on Niemi that went in at 2:26. It was yet another goal from the Los Angeles defense in this series, as Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson have both struck in this series. Not only did they get it from a second-or-third pairing defenseman, but the assists came from their fourth liners in Trevor Lewis and Kevin Westgarth to make it 1-0.

13 seconds later, a trip of bottom six forwards struck again. Brad Richardson found Kyle Clifford, who's slick backhander made it 2-0 in all of 2:39 into the game. The crowd was nuts, very un-Kenny G-like, in the wake of comments of a San Jose columnist who compared San Jose crowd to Metallica. Do Sharks fans shop at Armani too?

Los Angeles made the lead even bigger late in the period. Dustin Penner skate in on an abbreviated 2-on-1 with Michal Handzus. Penner had to make a back-pass by a defenseman to get it over, but he did. Handzus buried it past Antii Niemi for his first of the post-season at 18:22.

44 seconds into the second period, the end of an 8-0 Kings run in this series with a goal from Brad Richardson on a wicked snapper. Antii Niemi was pulled after giving up 6 goals on 10 shots. It was the fourth consecutive goal the Kings had gotten, and none of them came from any of their top-end offensive players. Momentum, however, was about to take a massive swing.

Then the Sharks started getting things in gear, with Antii Niittymaki in goal. Patrick Marleau got one on a tip-in of a Dan Boyle shot to make it 4-1 at 3:08. Ryan Clowe's power play wrister got it to 4-2. A great pass from Ian White to Logan Couture put it at 4-3. The building's tension could be felt even watching on television.

The Kings seemingly got their momentum back on the next rush. Jarret Stoll and Ryan Smyth came in on a rush, with Stoll getting it to Smyth for the tip-in. It was the veteran forward's first goal of the post-season, and seemed like the type of goal that would calm things down. Wrong one again.

The Sharks poured it on, throwing everything they had at Los Angeles at the end of the period. They pummeled Jonathan Quick with shots, and finally, Ryan Clowe broke through for his second of the game at 18:35. Dan Boyle, who'd been playing a ridiculously bad game until then, set it up. Just 55 seconds later, after another Sharks flurry, who else but Joe Pavelski ended up tying it? The period ended 5-5. Only nine periods in NHL history have seen more goals than the seven in this one. The record is nine. 

In the third, both teams had periods of great chances. The Sharks were coming hard in the beginning of the period, to be turned away nine times by Jonathan Quick. Meanwhile, the Kings were very good in between, though they only got five shots on goal. Antero Niittymaki - who came into the game for Antii Niemi at 44 seconds of the second period - stopped all five shots and looked pretty ready to be there. The teams were unable to put a goal in by the end of the third.

In the overtime early on, the Kings had a couple of chances, but were never able to put the passes together. Then, Patrick Marleau rushed up the ice, waited and waited, then found Devin Setoguch cross-ice. Setoguchi found the back of the net behind Quick, and the Sharks completed the best Stanley Cup Playoff comeback since 1985, when the Minnesota North Stars came from four goals down to win. It was only the third time in playoff history that this has been done with a four-plus goal deficit, including the Miracle on Manchester, when the Kings defeated Gretzky's Oilers in '82. All in all, a ridiculous night, and - to use a well-worn cliche - a Hollywood Ending for San Jose. 

After a seven-goal third period that featured an epic comeback, up and down plays and almost anything you could throw at a hockey fan, the third period of Game 3 of this Western Conference Quarterfinal went scoreless. The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, tied 1-1 in the series, are tied 5-5 after 60 minutes of this one, with the next goal meaning mountains of momentum in this series. 

Both teams had periods of great chances in the third period. The Sharks were coming hard in the beginning of the period, to be turned away nine times by Jonathan Quick. Meanwhile, the Kings were very good in between, though they only got five shots on goal. Antero Niittymaki - who came into the game for Antii Niemi at 44 seconds of the second period - stopped all five shots and looked pretty ready to be there. The teams were unable to put a goal in by the end of the third.

This is perhaps the most nerve-wracking game I've ever seen featuring a team that I didn't have a rooting interest in. This game already seems to have the makings of a playoff classic. If the Sharks win, it will be only the third time in Stanley Cup Playoff history that a team has come back from four or more goals down, and the first time since the Minnesota North Stars in 1985. For the love all things good in sports, stay tuned!

Seven goals, four minor penalties and what is shaping up to be a comeback for personified the second period between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. After going up 4-0, the Sharks scored three straight. Another Kings goal set it at 5-3, but a furious San Jose attack toward the end of the period got the Sharks tied again. It is 5-5 at the end of two periods in Game 3 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series. It is bizarre to even attempt to describe all the goals in this period, so we'll just do so in bunches.

44 seconds in, the end of an 8-0 Kings run in this series with a goal from Brad Richardson on a wicked snapper. Antii Niemi was pulled after giving up 6 goals on 10 shots. It was the fourth consecutive goal the Kings had gotten, and none of them came from any of their top-end offensive players. Momentum, however, was about to take a massive swing.

Then the Sharks started getting things in gear, with Antii Niittymaki in goal. Patrick Marleau got one on a tip-in of a Dan Boyle shot to make it 4-1 at 3:08. Ryan Clowe's power play wrister got it to 4-2. A great pass from Ian White to Logan Couture put it at 4-3. The building's tension could be felt even watching on television.

The Kings seemingly got their momentum back on the next rush. Jarret Stoll and Ryan Smyth came in on a rush, with Stoll getting it to Smyth for the tip-in. It was the veteran forward's first goal of the post-season, and seemed like the type of goal that would calm things down. Wrong one again.

The Sharks poured it on, throwing everything they had at Los Angeles at the end of the period. They pummeled Jonathan Quick with shots, and finally, Ryan Clowe broke through for his second of the game at 18:35. Dan Boyle, who'd been playing a ridiculously bad game until then, set it up. Just 55 seconds later, after another Sharks flurry, who else but Joe Pavelski ended up tying it? The period ended 5-5. 

Only nine periods in NHL history have seen more goals than the seven in this one. The record is nine. The period, which had started with some people likely thinking about changing the channel, has turned into what may be the most epic finish to an NHL playoff game in decades. Stay tuned.

Well, other than the Detroit Red Wings last night, it is hard to think of a better start a team has had during the first week of these Stanley Cup Playoffs than the one the Los Angeles Kings have had tonight. They lead the San Jose Sharks 3-0 after one period of play in Game 3 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series at Staples Center in a notedly riotous Los Angeles. 

It started early on, when Trevor Lewis found Willie Mitchell breaking down the wing to get a wrister on Niemi that went in at 2:26. It was yet another goal from the Los Angeles defense in this series, as Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson have both struck in this series. Not only did they get it from a second-or-third pairing defenseman, but the assists came from their fourth liners in Trevor Lewis and Kevin Westgarth to make it 1-0. 

13 seconds later, a trip of bottom six forwards struck again. Brad Richardson found Kyle Clifford, who's slick backhander made it 2-0 in all of 2:39 into the game. The crowd was nuts, very un-Kenny G-like, in the wake of comments of a San Jose columnist who compared San Jose crowd to Metallica. Do Sharks fans shop at Armani too?

The Kings had a chance to really put it away early, when Nicholas Wallin went off for high-sticking Michal Handzus. at 4:46. It was a four-minute double minor, in an aspect of the game that the Kings have had success on in this series. However, the Sharks were able to kill it off and try to build some momentum. They were unable to get much going throughout the period, failing in one power play and only getting 7 shots on Jonathan Quick. 

Los Angeles made the lead even bigger late in the period. Dustin Penner skate in on an abbreviated 2-on-1 with Michal Handzus. Penner had to make a back-pass by a defenseman to get it over, but he did. Handzus buried it past Antii Niemi for his first of the post-season at 18:22. The Kings have now scored seven consecutive goals in this series.