NHL 2016 Playoff Recap: Sharks eliminate Kings in Game 5

The Los Angeles Kings were eliminated on Friday night four games to one in their first round series against the San Jose Sharks.  Check out the latest NHL news in our 2016 Playoff Recap:

SHARKS OUTLAST KINGS, MOVE ON TO SECOND ROUND

The Kings erased a 3-0 deficit in the second period with a tremendous rally, but the Sharks scored three unanswered goals in the final frame to win their first playoff series since the 2013 Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. VAN (4-0 W).

The Sharks improved 10-1 in 11 all-time best-of-seven series when winning three of the opening four games.

The Sharks won their second playoff series – in four all-time meetings – against the rival Kings. Their lone other victory came in the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals (4-2 W).

Joonas Donskoi scored his first two career postseason goals, including the tiebreaker at 3:58 of the third period.

Sharks teammates Brent Burns and Logan Couture each collected three assists.

QUINE LIFTS ISLANDERS OVER PANTHERS IN DOUBLE-OVERTIME

Alan Quine, who made his NHL debut on April 9, scored with 4:00 remaining in double-overtime to lift the Islanders over the Panthers and to a 3-2 series lead.

Quine became the third player in Islanders history to register his first career playoff goal in overtime – and the second to do so in the past week. The others: Ken Morrow (Game 3 of 1980 PR at LAK) and Thomas Hickey (Game 3 of 2016 FR vs. FLA).

Quine also became the first Islanders player to notch a playoff overtime goal on the road since May 14, 1993, when Dave Volek scored at 5:16 of overtime in Game 7 of the Patrick Division Final at PIT.

KOIVU, WILD FORCE GAME 6 WITH COMEBACK OVERTIME WIN

Down 4-3 and facing elimination late in the third period, Mikko Koivu (2-0—2) scored the tying goal with 3:09 remaining and winner at 4:55 of overtime to power the Wild past the Stars.

Koivu, who registered his first career multi-goal game in the postseason, also picked up the first overtime goal of his playoff career. He has scored four such goals in 763 career regular-season appearances.

NEUVIRTH BLANKS CAPITALS TO KEEP FLYERS ALIVE

Michal Neuvirth stopped all 44 shots he faced, including 30 over the final two periods, to help the Flyers defeat the Capitals and stave off elimination for the second consecutive game.

The Flyers forced a Game 6 when trailing a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series 3-0 for the second time in franchise history. The only other time they achieved that feat was in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals (vs. BOS), when Philadelphia became the third team in NHL history to win a best-of-seven series after losing the opening three games.

Neuvirth, who set a postseason career high for saves in one game, registered his second playoff shutout (also April 15, 2011 vs. NYR: 22 SV w/ WSH). Elias says that Neuvirth established Flyers records for saves in a postseason shutout as well as a playoff regulation win.

The Flyers defeated the Capitals despite being outshot 44-11, their lowest shot total for any game in franchise history (regular-season or playoffs).

Via Elias, the Flyers became the first team to win a playoff game with 11 or fewer shots on goal since May 13, 1998, when the Capitals defeated the Senators, 2-0, despite being outshot 36-11.

POSTSEASON RARITY: TWO PENALTY SHOTS ON SAME DAY

For just the second time in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, two penalty shots were attempted on the same day: Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss stopped Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov at 7:19 of overtime, while Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick denied Sharks forward Patrick Marleau during the second period.

* The only other instance of two penalty shots on the same day in the Stanley Cup Playoffs: April 9, 1988, when Petr Klima (DET) scored on Allen Bester (TOR) and John Tucker (BUF) converted against Andy Moog (BOS).

* Only two other penalty shots have been awarded in overtime in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: Ken Wregget (PIT) denied Joe Juneau (WSH) on April 24, 1996, while Andy Moog (MTL) stopped Alexei Morozov (PIT) on April 23, 1998. Current Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr also played in both of those games (w/ PIT).

BLUES-BLACKHAWKS: DID YOU KNOW?

Via Elias, the Blues-Blackhawks series has been tied or within one goal for 94.5% of total playing time (313:55 of 332:11).

Nine of the last 11 playoff games between the Blues and Blackhawks, including all five thus far in the First Round, have been decided by one goal. Six of those nine contests have required overtime, with each team winning three times.

Including the regular-season, five of the 10 meetings between the Blues and Blackhawks in 2015-16 have required overtime. St. Louis has won four of those contests, with their lone loss coming in Game 5 on Thursday.

SATURDAY’S ACTION (All Times Eastern)

NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh, PIT leads 3-1, 3:00 p.m., NBC, SN360, TVAS
Nashville @ Anaheim, series tied 2-2, 6:00 p.m., NBCSN, SN, TVAS, PRIME, FS-TN
St. Louis @ Chicago, STL leads 3-2, 8:00 p.m., NBC, CBC, TVAS2

FRIDAY’S RESULTS (Home Team in Caps)

Philadelphia 2, WASHINGTON 0 – WSH leads 3-2
NY Islanders 2, FLORIDA 1 (2OT) – NYI leads 3-2
Minnesota 5, DALLAS 4 (OT) – DAL leads 3-2
San Jose 6, LOS ANGELES 3 – SJS wins 4-1

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services