LOS ANGELES (AP) — Warren Foegele scored twice and the Los Angeles Kings won their home opener 3-2 over San Jose on Thursday night to keep the Sharks winless.
The Kings jumped all over the Sharks with all three goals in a span of 7:05 in the first period.
Foegele was brought in to add toughness and grit to Los Angeles, and he showed those traits when positioning himself around the net to pick up his two goals.
Jordan Spence also had a goal and David Rittich made 24 saves.
Mikael Granlund had a pair of power-play goals for the Sharks, the second with 59.2 seconds remaining. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 27 shots.
Takeaways
Sharks: This was always going to be a season measured in growth for a rebuilding team, not wins. But by making young players like center Will Smith a healthy scratch as part of his development plan, it makes a night like this feel like a wasted opportunity.
Kings: After posting a league-best 14-3-1 record on home ice following the All-Star break last season, the Kings picked up where they left off with a home win.
Key moment
Foegele sat himself at the top of the paint in front of Granlund, and he tipped in Brandt Clarke’s shot at 11:36 of the first period for the 3-0 lead. It was Foegele’s third goal in the past two games.
Key stat
The Sharks have now failed to win any of their first eight games in consecutive seasons, becoming the first team to do so since the Boston Bruins in the 1960-61 and 1961-62 campaigns. San Jose is 0-6-2 this season after opening last season with 11 losses (0-10-1).
Up Next
The Sharks continue their four-game road trip, visiting the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night, and the Kings host the Utah Hockey Club for the first time in a Saturday matinee.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Dan Greenspan, The Associated Press
