Kings vs Sharks

Kings forward Artemi Panarin is a central scoring route, with eight goals and five assists in 13 season games. In his last three games he added one goal and one assist on 10 shots, averaging 328 seconds of power-play time. San Jose counters with Will Smith, who scored twice on eight shots in his last three and has six goals and four assists in 16 season games. Kiefer Sherwood had three assists in his last three games, while Jacob Trouba recorded two assists on 10 shots. Panarin’s season production meets Smith’s recent finishing, but three-game player samples do not guarantee output in this matchup.

The Kings’ clearest need is to improve both scoring and prevention at home. They went 1-4 in their last five home games, averaging 2.2 goals for and 3.6 against; third-period goals were 1-10. Across 13 season games, they average 2.77 goals for and 3.46 against, with eight power-play goals on 45 opportunities (17.8%). Their recent power play offers a route forward—four goals on 20 opportunities (20%) over five games—but the late defensive leak remains. Quinton Byfield had one goal and one assist on 11 shots in his last three games, with 299 seconds of average power-play time. The Kings have an attacking avenue, but their home defense must hold for an edge to last.

San Jose’s last five overall have been poor: 1-4, with 1.8 goals scored and 3.4 allowed per game. Its second-period goal totals were 1-6. Over that recent five-game window, the Sharks averaged 24.8 shots per game with a 7.26 shot percentage, and scored three power-play goals on 20 opportunities (15%). But that slump does not establish their present away scoring ceiling: in a separate last-five away sample from October 18–25, they averaged 3.6 goals for and 3.6 against and went 2-3. Will Smith scored twice on eight shots in his last three games, though it remains unclear whether the team’s recent scoring and special teams can sustain that contribution.

Across the last five head-to-head games, the Kings are 2-3 but have averaged 4.4 goals for and 3.4 against, for 7.8 combined goals. That sample runs from March 31, 2025 to October 4, 2026. By contrast, Los Angeles has averaged 2.2 goals in its last five home games and San Jose 1.8 in its last five overall. Rather than assume the historical scoring pattern repeats, the question is whether either side breaks its current scoring slump. Overtime and shootout goals should be kept separate from regulation-period scoring.