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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Now that the Los Angeles Kings have made it halfway to a historic comeback, the task actually seems even more difficult now that they know how close they are. Jonathan Quick made 30 saves to shut out San Jose for the fourth time in his career in the post-season and the Kings staved off elimination for a second straight game by beating the Sharks 3-0 on Saturday night in Game 5 of their first-round series. "If anything, it seems a little more daunting because we came this far to get two, now we need to take two more," defenceman Drew Doughty said. "It puts more pressure on us because we can kind of smell it. We cant get ahead of ourselves. We have a lot of work ahead of us." Tyler Toffoli, Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter scored for the Kings, who have rebounded after losing the first three games of the series. Quick allowed 16 goals in those losses, but once again is starting to look like the goalie who stymied the Sharks in a second-round series a year ago. Antti Niemi allowed three goals on 19 shots and got pulled for the second straight game for the Sharks. Perhaps more importantly, San Jose also lost star defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic to an upper-body injury after he was elbowed in the head by Jarret Stoll late in the first period. "We did a lot of good things for 3 1/2 games. Tonight was red rotten," coach Todd McLellan said. "Thats simply put. When we started the series, we talked about leaving games behind, closing the book on it. Theres no doubt well look at it. We have to improve. But its put in the bank and well move on." They may have to do it without Vlasic. He is questionable for Game 6 on Monday night in Los Angeles as the Kings are looking to become just the fourth NHL team to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. They finally broke through in San Jose after losing five playoff games here the past two seasons and 12 of 13 games here overall. But they will need to win here again to complete the comeback as Game 7 will be in San Jose on Wednesday, if necessary. The Kings came out looking like a desperate team and dominated from the start against the listless Sharks, who were unable to feed off the energy from a frenzied crowd hoping to see a fierce rival get eliminated. "We had a good start," Quick said. "We got a few shifts and we just tried to keep building on it. They came with a lot, too. They had a big pushback. Its not easy to win against this team. Theyre a great team for a reason." Los Angeles controlled the game on the ice, the shot clock and the scoreboard to take a 2-0 lead in the first period and mostly silence the crowd. The Kings opened the scoring when Tanner Pearson outraced Vlasic to a loose puck and fed a rushing Toffoli, who patiently skated around James Sheppard and beat Niemi with a shot from the slot to make it 1-0. The Kings made it 2-0 shortly after Joe Thornton was unable to bat a cross-ice pass from Brent Burns into an empty net. That fueled a 3-on-2 rush the other way and Kopitar knocked in a rebound of Dustin Browns shot. "Usually, we have really fast starts in this building and that wasnt the case tonight," Thornton said. "They started faster than us. Really, its a rarity around here. We just have to have better starts. Thats the bottom line." The Sharks responded to a 2-0 deficit in Game 2 that deficit with seven straight goals, but it was quickly clear that would not repeat when Carter banked a shot off Brad Stuarts skate for a power-play goal 22 seconds into the second period to end Niemis night. Alex Stalock came in and stopped 22 shots, but it was too late to save the Sharks in this game although it could make McLellan consider starting him in Game 6. "Well have to make some decisions throughout our lineup at every position because we werent obviously near good enough tonight," McLellan said. San Jose finally showed some life late in the second period, but by then Quick was on his game, robbing Brent Burns with a pad save on the power play late in the period. "I thought tonight was probably our best defensive game so far this series," Doughty said. "We dont want Quicky to have to stand on his head every night. We want to play well in front of him. We want to do things to make it a little easier for him. I thought we did that tonight but when he was called upon he was huge." NOTES: Niemi has been pulled four times in 38 playoff starts for San Jose, all against Los Angeles. ... Carter has points in nine straight playoff games dating to last season. Adidas Max Comtois Jersey . Van Slyke drove in a career-high four runs with two homers off struggling left-hander Tony Cingrani, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled away to a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night, a rare comfortable win in their pitching-dominated series. Adidas Giovanni Fiore Jersey .C. -- Unable to get much lift off his sore right ankle, Bobcats centre Al Jefferson figured it was time to make an adjustment. http://www.cheapducksjerseys.com/?tag=ad...r-rowney-jersey. Especially after he got ejected. "How many innings was that?" he wondered. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Theres little time for rest, too. The Flyers and Rangers play again Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Simmonds scored in the first period and twice more in the second for his first career post-season hat trick. Mason survived a busy first period and stopping 31 straight shots until Carl Hagelin scored late in the third. Adidas Korbinian Holzer Jersey .The Dallas Cowboys released Sam from the practice squad Tuesday, dropping the rush end as they prepare for several potential reinforcements to return to the defensive line.6) Chase Utley. David Price. Andrew Wiggins. Kevin Love. If one or more of these players has been traded as you are reading this, never mind the following question. But if not, "When will one or more of these players be traded so we can stop asking if they will or should be traded"? 7) What is St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny thinking when he uses closer Trevor Rosenthal three games in a row, as he often does? Rosenthal is tied for the MLB lead with 30 saves, but his four blown saves and his five losses are often the result of a questionable workload. 8) When the Indy racers decided it would be unwise to drive in Toronto last Saturday, did you chuckle and exclaim "That goes for the rest of us every other day"? 9) If the Expos returned to Montreal and Toronto landed an NFL team, which city would be happiest to be known for something other than its mayor? 10) Do the rest of the claret jugs in this world get jealous when the only one ever mentioned is the one held by Rory McIlroy on Sunday? 11) How many broadcasters fear the day when Odrisamer Despaigne becomes the first San Diego Padres pitcher to throw a no-hitter and they have to try to pronounce his name? 12) When Adam Wainwright retires, will he be known for all his victories and all his strikeouts, or will he be known for the pitch that Derek Jeter hit for a double? If the answer is the latter, the blame lies with Adam Wainwright. 13) If Katy Perry plays any more sold-out shows at Air Canada Centre, shes liable be up in the rafters with Jon Bon Jovi, so to speak. Has anyone checked to see if theyre saving room for another Stanley Cup banner? 14) Wheres the good news for the Buffalo Bills when defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is arrested for synthetic marijuana possession and drag racing and fails his training-camp conditioning test? Acccording to Bills coach Doug Marrone, "Marcell has a good heart".dddddddddddd Okay, then. 15) Washingtons NFL team will have a new name by 2016, according to Sports Illustrated"s Peter King. Whos for calling it "Washingtons NFL team" until then? 16) Theres nothing wrong with colourful athletes, and Seattle Mariners closer Fernando Rodney is one, with his "bow and arrow" celebration pose. But is there anything dumber than displaying it to end the 8th inning only to blow a save in the 9th inning, thus allowing the opposing LA Angels to mock him by shooting arrows themselves? 17) Dont you find it interesting that the NFL has apparently gone from not caring about the lack of a team in Los Angeles to thinking about building its own stadium there? 18) Do we need to know the salary figure for each and every player in the NHL? No, which means we dont need to know salary information for someone who might play in the NHL. But we do. Vladimir Sobotka, who left the St. Louis Blues for the Kontinental Hockey League, was awarded, via arbitration, a one-year, $2.725 million contract which will take effect should he return to the NHL. 19) The last name of the lawyer representing would-be LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is "Streisand". Do you think he sings to himself "People……. people with two billion dollars to spend on a basketball team, and their lawyers, are the luckiest people in the world"? 20) Finally, am I allowed a personal note? Thanks. Congratulations to kindred spirit Matt Bonner on a new contract that will make him a San Antonio Spur for a ninth season. “The Red Rocket” is just as popular a Spur as he was a Raptor, and he helps me select this weeks musical tidbit. Enjoy Matts favourite band and one of mine, Okkervil River. ' ' '