The Kings have played the Sharks 6 times already this season, with two of those games victories. Thing is, each victory was backstopped by a different goalie: Dan Cloutier beat them on Nov. 13, Barry Brust beat them nearly a month later on Dec. 14. Mathieu Garon lost his first matchup with Sam Jose on Nov. 9. Can he register his first win tonight at Staples?

Patrick Marleau actually has a better chance of becoming the Sharks all-time leading goal scorer tonight. He is currently tied with Owen Nolan for most goals as a Shark. Early this season, he broke records for games played, assists and points.

Also, the goaltending of San Jose has been solid, thanks to the game-by-game switching of goalies. Vesa Toskola and Evgeni Nabakov have nearly the same stats, with Toskola the slight advantage. The Kings' goaltending woes are well-known, especially in this blog. Things got a little grimmer for Los Angeles, when it was reported that Dan Cloutier will have surgery on his hip on Friday, effectively ending his season.

There was no scoring in the first period, as the Kings only managed a paltry six shots in the first period. The Kings dodged two bullets, when Craig Conroy was called for tripping league MVP Joe Thornton and Sean Avery got two minutes for high-sticking. If L.A. keeps getting called, it will bite them in the rear.

First period: Kings 0, Sharks 0

MIchael Cammallari finally started the scoring the second period, when he batted an assist from Anze Kopitar to make it, 1-0. Sharks defensman Christian Ehrhoff was trying to clear the zone, but the puck was held in by Anze Kopitar held it in. He quickly passed it over to Dustin Brown, who wound up and took a shot. It went just left, and the puck bounced around in front of the crease. Kopitar got his stick on it, but not enough to control it, and it trickled to Cammallari, who knocked it in past Toskola.

However, the lead evaporated when Mark bell tied it up two minutes later. Just coming out of the penalty box for tripping, Bell was fed by Scott Hannan. He skated in, and was able to put one past Garon to tie it up. The goal quieted a hopeful Staples Center crowd.

The league's best power unit struck again when Milan Michalek scored a power play to break the tie, 2-1. Sean Avery had been called for slashing Mike Grier, so the league's second-worst penalty kill took to the ice. 15 seconds in, Jonathon Cheechoo takes the puck and tries to wrap it around the net and past Garon. The puck bounces to Michalek, who backhands it past Garon for his 12th goal.

Kopitar had a brilliant play when he took fellow 19-year-old rookie Marc-Edouard Vlasic into the boards.Both players were behind the Sharks goal, and Kopitar tattooed Vlasic into the boards, causing his helmet to pop off and slide around the ice. Giving up several incehs and about 25 pounds, Vlasic's face was visibly grimacing when he got to his skates. The Kings were able to sustain some pressure, but Toskola turned them away.

Joe Pavelski took a shot on Garon, but Garon was unable to keep the puck in his glove. It popped out, and went to Patrick Marleau, who backhanded it through traffic and into the Kings net to make it 3-1 Sharks. And with that goal, Patrick Marleau scored his 207th goal wearing the teal and white, becoming San Jose's all-time goal scorer.

The Kings were outshot for the second straight period, as the pricision of San Jose carved them up. Doesn't it seem many players either get their first NHL goal or achieve some milestone in their career against the Kings?

Second period: Sharks 3, Kings 1

Ryan Klowe continued the onslaught of Sharks goals seven minutes in the third. Marleau shoots on goal, as the rebound heads over to the far boards. There, Klowe fired a wrister toward the net and in to make it four unanswered goals for San Jose.

However, rookie phenom Kopitar halts the Sharks offensive juggernaut a bit, when he scored to make it a two goal game. San Jose's Ehrhoff once again turned the puck over in the zone, as Kopitar spun and skated toward the net. He quickly passed it over to fellow rookie Konstantin Pushkarev, who touch-passed it right back to Anze. Kopitar was able to get enough of his stick on the puck to redirect it on goal, off Toskola and in. The physical element of Kopitar's game has certainly come into focus this game, who now has 39 points on the season, and is two behind Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, the leading rookie scorer.

The Kings pulled the goalie with less than two minutes to go, and the Sharks' Patrick Rissmiller scored an empty-netter to make it 5-2. The Kings drop their second game in a row, and start a three game road trip starting Saturday at St. Louis.

The game on Saturday is the first national game for Los Angeles this season. The matchup will also be the first against former head coach Andy Murray.

Third period:Sharks 5, Kings 2