Instant Replay: Carter leads LA Kings past Jones, Sharks

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SAN JOSE -– The Sharks’ dominant start to the season is quickly becoming a distant memory.

The Kings scored the first three goals of the game, and San Jose’s power play remained ice cold as Los Angeles claimed a 4-1 triumph at SAP Center on Thursday night.

The loss was the third straight in regulation for the Sharks (4-3-0), who opened the 2015-16 campaign with four consecutive wins. The Kings won their third in a row as Jeff Carter led all skaters with 4 points (2g, 2a), and goalie Jhonas Enroth was solid in his season debut making 39 saves.

The Sharks outshot the Kings 18-8 in the first period, but trailed 2-0 at the end of the opening frame after falling asleep on the first goal and losing the special teams battle.

Brent Burns was caught in the neutral zone on the Kings’ opening marker, and didn’t get back hard enough to prevent Tyler Toffoli from putting a slick move on Martin Jones at 11:37. Toffoli stunningly deked his good friend from below the goal line and deposited his fourth of the year.

San Jose’s power play struggles continued to plague them later in the first, as they failed to capitalize on roughing minors to Jordan Nolan and Milan Lucic.

It cost them. The Kings, who entered the game just 1-for-21 on the power play, increased their edge to 2-0 when Lucic got a piece of a Christian Ehrhoff attempt at 19:32 for his first goal with his new club. Tommy Wingels was in the box for hooking.

Carter made it 3-0, powering a wrist shot through Jones at 3:46 of the second period. That made it 11 straight goals surrendered by the Sharks, dating back to a 3-2 lead against the Islanders last Saturday that became a 6-3 defeat.

The Sharks were finally able to solve Enroth at 15:06 of the second, when Joel Ward got open in the slot and flipped in a Joe Pavelski pass.

Again, the Sharks had multiple chances on the power play after cutting into the Kings’ lead, but didn’t do anything on two straight advantages before the end of the middle frame, including a half-minute of two-man advantage time. They took an 0-for-5, and are just 1-for-16 in their last six games after starting the season with two power play goals in Los Angeles on Oct. 7.

Carter’s second goal, on the power play, came when his shot hit the back boards and deflected in off of Jones midway through the third. The Kings, ahead 4-1, were never in danger after that.

There was a concerning moment with two minutes left in the first period. Joe Thornton was hammered in the corner by the Kings’ Jake Muzzin, and appeared to smack the back of his helmet squarely on the ice. He got up but couldn’t immediately maintain his balance and toppled over twice before going straight to the dressing room.

Thornton was not on the bench to start the second period, but took his first shift 3:33 into the middle frame and finished the game.

The Sharks and Kings have split their first two meetings this season, including a 5-1 San Jose win at Staples Center on Oct. 7. The five-game season series continues on Dec. 22 in Southern California.

Special teams

Along with their power play problems, the Sharks’ penalty kill is also having trouble. They allowed a power play goal against for the fourth straight game, and are just 9-for-14 over that span as the Kings went 2-for-4 on Thursday.

In goal

After allowing just two goals in his first four games, Jones took the loss allowing four goals on 29 shots.

Enroth was solid in his season debut, making a number of strong saves in the first period and improving to 4-0-0 in his career vs. San Jose.

Lineup

Bryan Lerg was reassigned to the Barracuda on Wednesday, but returned on Thursday morning with Joonas Donskoi still nursing a lower body injury.

Micheal Haley and Mirco Mueller each made their season debut after starting the season in the AHL. Mueller switched teams with Dylan DeMelo, while Haley replaced Nikolay Goldobin.

The Kings recalled defenseman Jamie McBain earlier in the day.

Up next

The Sharks remain home to host Carolina on Saturday and Nashville next Wednesday, Oct. 28.

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