Tonight, the San Jose Sharks (12-11-1, 5th Pacific) and Los Angeles Kings (9-13-1, 8th Pacific) will look to renew a rivalry that’s remained dormant the last few years. After a five or so year period of intense, visceral meetings, often exacerbated in the postseason, the animus between the two clubs has faded — a natural process hastened by the Kings’ fall from relevance and the recent emergence of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Last season, the division rivals split their four-game season series, despite being separated by 40 points in the standings, a result indicative of the heightened intensity and unpredictability present in matchups between the two.