Tag Archives: Tyler Toffoli

First look: Kings vs. Sharks

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KINGS vs. SHARKS

Records: Kings 48-26-6, 102 points (second in the Pacific Division); Sharks 46-30-6, 98 points (third in the Pacific).

Season series: Sharks 3-1-1.

Results: Sharks won 5-1, Oct. 7 at Los Angeles; Kings won 4-1, Oct. 22 at San Jose; Sharks won 5-3, Dec. 22 at Los Angeles; Kings won 3-2 (OT), Jan. 24 at San Jose; Sharks won 5-2, March 28 at San Jose.

Kings leading scorers: Center Anze Kopitar (25 goals, 49 assists), center Jeff Carter (24 goals, 38 assists), right wing Tyler Toffoli (31 goals, 27 assists).

Sharks leading scorers: Center Joe Thornton (19 goals, 63 assists), right wing Joe Pavelski (38 goals, 40 assists), defenseman Brent Burns (27 goals, 48 assists).

Kings top goalie: Jonathan Quick (40-23-5, 2.22 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, 5 shutouts).

Sharks top goalie: Martin Jones (37-23-4, 2.27 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, 6 shutouts.)

Schedule

Game 1: Staples Center, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., CNBC

Game 2: Staples Center, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN

Game 3: San Jose, April 18, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN

Game 4: San Jose, April 20, 7:30 p.m., USA

Game 5 (if necessary): Staples Center, April 22, TBD, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): San Jose, April 24, TBD, TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): Staples Center. April 26, TBD, TBD

Game report: Kings 6, Oilers 4

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Key play: Tyler Toffoli’s tiebreaking goal early in the second period propelled the Kings to a 6-4 victory Saturday over the Edmonton Oilers at Staples Center. Toffoli raced down the right wing and broke a 2-all tie with his second goal of the game and his team-leading 29th of the season.

Pivotal performer: Kings left wing Milan Lucic assisted on the Kings’ first three goals to tie his career high for assists in a game. It was his fifth three-assist game in the NHL, his first since Oct. 21, 2014 against the San Jose Sharks while with the Boston Bruins.

Quote, unquote: “We need to clean things up defensively and stuff like that,” Lucic said after the Kings ended a three-game losing streak. “I know it was great we got six goals tonight, but giving up four against is kind of unacceptable. We’ve got to clean that up with seven games left.”

Injury update: Kings left wing Kris Versteeg sat out for the fourth consecutive game because of a foot injury suffered when he blocked a shot during a March 19 game against the Boston Bruins, a 2-1 victory. Versteeg skated on his own after his teammates completed their morning skate.

Game report: Senators 5, Kings 3

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Key play: Bobby Ryan set up Mika Zibanejad for the go-ahead power-play goal and the Ottawa Senators rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits to defeat the Kings 4-3 on Saturday at Staples Center. The Kings held leads of 2-0 in the second period and 3-1 in the third.

Pivotal performer: Kings forward Nick Shore drew a double-minor for high-sticking the Senators’ Shane Price in the face at 10:34 of the third period. The Kings killed off the first minor, but not the second as Zibanejad scored the go-ahead goal at 13:10.

Quote, unquote: “It’s something you can’t do against any team because when you make mistakes like that any team is going to make you pay,” Kings center Anze Kopitar said. “Very uncharacteristic of us. Two-goal lead, we blew that in a matter of minutes. That power-play goal they scored, that put them over the edge. We definitely can’t be as sloppy as we were tonight.

Milestone moment: Center Vincent Lecavalier scored his first goal since the Kings acquired him and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 6. Lecavalier’s last goal was last April 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins while with the Flyers.

Penalty shot: Kings right wing Tyler Toffoli failed to convert after he drew a penalty shot against Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson on a partial breakaway try at 14:32 of the second period. Senators goaltender Craig Anderson sprawled to make the save, preserving a 2-1 score.

Game report: Sharks 5, Kings 3

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Key play: Joe Pavelski scored two power-play goals only 1 minute, 32 seconds apart in the third period to rally the San Jose Sharks a 5-3 victory Tuesday over the Kings at Staples Center. Pavelski’s goals were his team-leading 17th and 18th of the season.

Pivotal performer: Right wing Tyler Toffoli scored his team-leading 13th and 14th goals, one in each of the first two periods, to help the Kings build a 3-2 lead over the Sharks going into the third. Toffoli’s first goal came only 1:40 into the game.

Quote, unquote: “They shoot the puck, they get to the net and they have guys who get sticks on pucks and it’s obviously tough on goalies to make saves when it’s going off two different guys and it’s going into the net,” Toffoli said of the Sharks’ power play, which clicked twice in four chances Tuesday.

Between the pipes: Jonathan Quick returned to the Kings’ net after Jhonas Enroth started in their 5-0 loss Saturday to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones, Quick’s former backup with the Kings, started for the Sharks and made his 28th appearance of the season.

Injury update: Kings left wing Dwight King skated with his teammates during their morning skate and he stayed on the ice long after they departed. King has resumed skating with the Kings this week after suffering a broken foot in an exhibition game that’s sidelined him for all 33 games. It’s uncertain when King might be sound enough to return to the lineup.

Game report: Kings 4, Predators 3 (OT)

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Key play: Jeff Carter’s goal, on a breakaway with 17.4 seconds left in 3-on-3 overtime, gave the Kings a 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon over the Nashville Predators at Staples Center. The Kings’ victory was their seventh in a row.

Pivotal performer: Kings winger Tyler Toffoli scored his team-leading eighth and ninth goals, including a first-period strike while they were on a power play.

Quote, unquote: “I can’t tell you that,” Carter deadpanned when asked about his strategy on his game-winning goal.

Injury updates: Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff suffered an upper-body injury on a second-period hit against the boards by the Predators’ Mike Ribeiro. Defenseman Matt Greene sat out for the seventh game because of an upper-body injury. He resumed practicing with his teammates Friday.

Big save: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick made a sprawling stop on a point-blank attempt by the Predators’ Colin Wilson in the second period.

Up next: The Kings begin a two-game trip Monday at Chicago.

Game report: Kings 3, Hurricanes 0

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Key play: Goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped the Carolina Hurricanes’ first shot and their 40th and everything in between during the Kings’ 3-0 victory Friday at Staples Center, their fourth win in a row. It was his 38th career shutout.

Pivotal performer: Kings left wing Tyler Toffoli scored his team-leading fifth and sixth goals, including a power-play strike at 11:06 of the first period that extended his goal-scoring streak to a career-high four games.

Quote, unquote: “I try to find the open ice and try to have a step and an idea of where it is going to go,” Toffoli said when asked if the puck follows him around the ice. “I think right now it’s working well for me. I’m just playing like I always did while growing up, trying to find that open ice.”

Roster move: The Kings placed defenseman Matt Greene on injured reserve because of an upper-body injury. The move is retroactive to Oct. 13. There is no timetable for Greene’s return to the active roster. He hasn’t been cleared to resume full contact drills.

Between the pipes: Quick returned to the Kings’ net after Jhonas Enroth stopped 39 shots in a 4-1 victory Thursday over the Sharks in San Jose. Quick started each of the Kings’ first five games, going 2-3 with a 2.59 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage.

Special teams: Toffoli’s first-period goal was the Kings’ fourth in 26 power-play chances to start the season. They were mired in a 1-for-21 man-advantage slump before scoring twice in four opportunities on the power play during Thursday’s victory over the Sharks.

Up next: The Kings begin a two-game trip against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

Game report: Kings 2, Wild 1 (OT)

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Key play: Anze Kopitar snapped a shot from the high slot into the back of the net 2:19 into 3-on-3 overtime to give the Kings a 2-1 win Friday over the Minnesota Wild at Staples Center, their first victory of the season after three straight defeats.

Pivotal performers: The Kings’ power-play unit ended a 0-for-14 drought to start the season when Tyler Toffoli scored 1:13 into the second period, giving his team a 1-0 lead. Milan Lucic and Jeff Carter had the assists. It was Lucic’s first point with the Kings after an off-season trade from Boston.

Between the pipes: Jonathan Quick started for the fourth consecutive game for the Kings. Backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper started for the Wild, one night after Devan Dubnyk was in goal for a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Quick made 25 saves. Kuemper made 35 saves.

Quote, unquote: “It’s huge,” Carter said of ending a three-game losing streak to start the season. “First three games were pretty rough for us. Just to get one under your belt, you take a big sigh of relief and move forward and keep building on it. … We really had to work for what we got. It’s a huge two points.”

Milestone: Team captain Dustin Brown played in his 806th game in the NHL, all with the Kings, and moved passed Rob Blake for fourth place on the club’s all-time list of games played.

Injury update: As expected, defenseman Matt Greene didn’t play because of an unspecified injury. He joined his teammates at the morning skate and stayed on the ice for extra work.