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About This Page: This is a discussion on LA Kings Talk within the LetsGoKings.com forums, at Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum. Useless Note: The Sharks are 18-0-2 in their last 20 games.
Los Angeles Kings (31-42-7) 69 pts
VS.
San Jose Sharks (49-21-10) 108 pts
The San Jose Sharks have gone on a red-hot run to secure the best regular season in franchise history, thanks partly to a couple of games against the league-worst Los Angeles Kings.
The Sharks, trying to continue their momentum before postseason play, look to win their sixth straight at Los Angeles when they face the Kings in the finale of a home-and-home series Thursday night.
San Jose (49-21-10) closed out its regular-season home schedule with a 5-2 win over Los Angeles (31-42-7) on Tuesday night, giving it a club-record 108 points with two games to play. The Sharks had 107 points last season, when they lost to Detroit in the Western Conference semifinals.
Pacific Division champion San Jose has second place in the West locked up and it's the hottest team in the league with the postseason approaching, going 18-0-2 since its last regulation loss on Feb. 20.
San Jose's recent stretch includes two wins over the Kings, who have a league-worst 69 points. The Sharks have a good opportunity to keep their run going, having won five straight at Los Angeles since a 4-2 loss on Nov. 13, 2006.
San Jose, though, is expected to rest many of its top players, including goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. He made 16 saves for his NHL-leading 46th victory Tuesday and still has a chance to match New Jersey star Martin Brodeur's NHL record of 48 set last season, but Wilson said he will start backup Brian Boucher on Thursday. Nabokov will close out the regular season at Dallas on Sunday.
Rookie Erik Ersberg has gotten the majority of the work in net for Los Angeles in recent weeks. He has allowed five goals in each of his last two games, stopping 29 shots versus the Sharks in his first appearance in the rivalry.
Ersberg played well in 11 games before his slump, going 5-3-3 with a 1.97 goals-against average. On Tuesday, San Jose's Milan Michalek scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and Mike Grier, Patrick Marleau, Curtis Brown and Brian Campbell also found the back of the net for the Sharks.
Michalek has three goals in his last three games against Los Angeles.
The Sharks are 4-2-1 against the Kings this season.
The Kings have a home record of 16-20-3 and their last 10 games is a record of 4-4-2.
The Sharks have a road record of 27-8-4, and their last 10 games is a record of 8-0-2.
The Kings will play their final game of the season on Saturday afternoon against the Anaheim Ducks at Staples Center.
"That's one of the best teams in the league, especially with all that talent," Ersberg said. "It's not just Joe Thornton. They've got some other guys too that can produce. You learn stuff and you take the good things with you to the next game and the next season."
"It's tough to beat that team when you're playing against their power play all night," Los Angeles coach Marc Crawford said after his club was called for eight minor penalties to San Jose's two. "I'm proud of our guys. It was a three-goal difference in the end, (but) it was a one-goal game, and we were right in it."
Los Angeles Kings
Kyle Calder (Broken finger on 3/20/08) day-to-day
Dan Cloutier (Right groin strain on 3/27/08) day-to-day
Jack Johnson (Fractured right foot on 3/18/08) day-to-day
Jason LaBarbera (Sports hernia surgery on 2/21/08) day-to-day
Ladislav Nagy (Sore neck on 1/19/08) IR
San Jose Sharks
Jonathan Cheechoo (Neck soreness on 3/25/08) day-to-day
Brad Norton (Back injury on 10/2/07) IR
Bottom of the Cellar Standings:
26 Islanders 77 points, 2 games remaining
27 Blues 75 points, 3 games remaining
28 Thrashers 74 points, 1 games remaining
29 Lightning 71 points, 2 games remaining 30 Kings 69 points, 2 games remaining
Key/Division Games Tonight:
Rangers @ Islanders 4:00 PM PST | 7:00 PM EST
Lightning @ Capitals 4:00 PM PST | 7:00 PM EST
Senators @ Maple Leafs 4:30 PM PST | 7:30 PM EST
Sabres @ Canadiens 4:30 PM PST | 7:30 PM EST Blue Jackets @ Red Wings 4:30 PM PST | 7:30 PM EST Blues @ Predators 5:00 PM PST | 8:00 PM EST Flames @ Wild 5:00 PM PST | 8:00 PM EST Stars @ Coyotes 7:00 PM PST | 10:00 PM Oilers @ Canucks 7:30 PM PST | 10:30 PM EST
***GDT - San Jose Sharks @ Los Angeles Kings - 4/3/08*** 
King Taco
