National Hockey League Predictions Sharks vs. Kings Picks, Betting Odds & Trends

Kings captain Dustin Brown drew a huge reaction from the crowd when he leveled San Jose’s Logan Couture in the first period, but the hit appeared questionable. The Kings goalie has an incredible 7-2-0 record with a 1.74-goals average in his last nine starts against the Sharks, according to CBS Sports.

The Kings wasted little time scoring, but they fell apart after that.

The real truth of the matter? Kings’ defenseman Alec Martinez finished the game with a +1 plus/minus rating; he was the only Kings player to finish with a positive plus/minus.

San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones, center, falls to the ice as he…

If DeBoer has any concerns about opening night in Los Angeles, Jones’ ability to handle the pressure of the big stage isn’t among them. With the exception of the 2011-12 season in New Jersey with Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk leading the way, DeBoer in his National Hockey League coaching career has largely been with teams that had modest expectations. In the last two years, only Alex Ovechkin has more goals than his 78, now 79 goals.

This season however, there is a lot to like about the Sharks defensively. “It was exciting, it was a fun game to play in”.

Things started off great for the two-time Stanley Cup champions when Nick Shore scored less than two minutes into the game. The savvy veteran waited until the exact ideal time to attack the puck carrier and force the issue.

Despite a reputation for a particularly physical style of play, Brown has only been suspended once for elbowing Jason Pominville in 2013, and has never been fined. Martin thwarted the attack with a flawless read.

– The Kings have narrowed down their roster to 23.

Formerly a captain with Thornton’s original team in Boston before a 2005 trade to the Sharks, he was captain in San Jose from 2010-14.

“Like I told the team tonight, that game tonight was a culmination of a month of hard work”, DeBoer said. San Jose will also likely be without forward Melker Karlsson who has been out with an undisclosed injury. And while they also sagged offensively last season, the offense was not the big question mark heading into this year. It was clear that the Sharks were out for blood with something to prove as they had their top unit out there on the power-play even with a game well in hand.

At least no one needs a calendar around here.

To the ho-hum Jones, Shore’s marker was just another goal. The Sharks scored twice on power plays.

Jones may not have gotten the shutout but he and the Sharks looked very much like a team committed to defense in their opening night victory.