LOS ANGELES - Justin Williams scored two goals in the second period, and the Los Angeles Kings advanced to the NHL Western Conference finals with a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 on Tuesday night.
Jonathan Quick made 25 saves as the defending Stanley Cup champions finished off this agonizingly even series with their 14th consecutive home victory over the past two months, which includes seven in a row during the postseason.
The home team won all seven games in the series, and the fifth-seeded Kings barely rode their home-ice advantage to victory in their first potential elimination game in the past two years.
Antti Niemi stopped 16 shots, and Dan Boyle scored early in the third period for the Sharks, who fell just short of their third trip to the conference finals in four years.
The Kings will face Chicago or Detroit when they attempt to reach the Stanley Cup finals for the third time. The Blackhawks host the Red Wings in Game 7tonight.
Los Angeles has won eight consecutive home playoff games dating to last season’s Stanley Cup clincher, but this one might have been the toughest. San Jose pressed the action throughout the third period after Williams’ back-to-back goals put the Sharks in a mid-game hole, but Quick and the Kings’ defense hung on for a victory in Los Angeles’ first Game 7 at home since 1989.
Williams scored on a power-play tap-in and a one-timer 2:57 apart early in the second, putting the Kings on top to stay. The veteran wing had an eight game, goal-scoring drought, but the two-time Stanley Cup winner has a knack for Game 7 heroics,scoring nine points in his four career appearances in the decisive game.
Quick and Los Angeles’ defense barely held off the Sharks in a frantic third period. Quick showed off his Conn Smythe Trophy form yet again, finishing the seven-game series by allowing just 10 goals.
This series was even from the start, with neither team able to take more than momentary control. The clubs were similarly equal in the regular season, when the Kings’ 3-2 home victory over San Jose in the finale pushed fifth-seeded Los Angeles ahead of the Sharks. That eventually led to the Kings starting a playoff series at home for the first time since 1992.
Los Angeles opened with two home victories, stealing Game 2 with two power-play goals in the final minutes for the only major comeback of the series. The Sharks responded with two solid 2-1 victories at home, keeping the Kings’ offense punchless away from Staples Center.
Quick posted his second shutout of the series in Game 5, but San Jose forced a seventh game with another 2-1 victory at the Shark Tank last Sunday.
NHL playoffs CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary) MONDAY’S GAME Chicago 4, Detroit 3,
Series tied 3-3 TUESDAY’S GAME Los Angeles 2, San Jose 1
Los Angeles won series 4-3 TODAY’S GAME All times Central Detroit at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Sports, Pages 21 on 05/29/2013