SAN JOSE – For the sixth time in this series, the home team has won. On home ice, teams are 6-0 in this series and if the Los Angeles Kings have any hopes of advancing to the Western Conference Final, they will need to keep that streak going as tonight’s 2-1 win by San Jose forces a seventh and deciding game at Staples Center on Tuesday night.

Early on in the game, the Kings found themselves behind the 8-ball the same way they found themselves so many times before: by taking penalties. Regardless whether they were good or bad calls, Los Angeles was short two men early and the Sharks made them pay as Joe Thornton opened the scoring 6:09 into the contest to draw first blood for the home side.

Despite the lead, the opening period was fairly even as the Kings outshot the Sharks 9-8 while both goaltenders did what they’d been doing all series long: stealing the show. But just 4:10 into the second, San Jose created some breathing room for themselves as TJ Galiardi, who was critical of Jonathan Quick‘s knack for “embellishment” earlier, potted his first of the postseason to give his Sharks a two-goal lead.

May 26, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) scores a goal against Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) during the first period in game six of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Not long after, Justin Williams was called for a four-minute double-minor giving the Sharks a golden opportunity to put the game out of reach. But the Kings, to their credit, held strong and were able to kill off the penalty before Dustin Brown scored on a bad-angle shot to pull Los Angeles to within a goal. From there, the Kings turned the tide in momentum but just could not get the equalizer before the second expired. Through 40 minutes, the shots were even at 17 apiece.

In the third, most Kings fans assumed that their team would be hungrier than ever to tie the game and ultimately try to end the series. But that wasn’t the case. While the Kings did try to generate a few chances, the home team just wanted it more on this night as they held the Kings at bay holding on for the 2-1 win to send this series back to the City of Angels.

All three wins in San Jose this series have ended in 2-1 scores which is a testament to how close this series has been. Of course, that doesn’t help the Kings. The urgency wasn’t quite at the level it could have been tonight and the silver-and-black also could have been much better in the faceoff circle. In fact, when Anze Kopitar won a faceoff late in the San Jose zone, it was disheartening to see the puck roll past Drew Doughty and out of the zone on a play which the Kings were not able to recover from.

Jonathan Quick was great stopping 24 of 26 shots giving his team countless opportunities to stay in the game but San Jose’s Antti Niemi was one better and it was the difference as the Sharks hope they have some Game 7 magic in store for themselves two nights from now.

On Sunday evening the Los Angeles Kings will square off with the San Jose Sharks in Game 6 of the Western Semi Final with a chance to close out the series. However, it will be anything but easy as the Kings travel to HP Pavilion where the Sharks have yet to lose this postseason. Even though San Jose won both their home games this series by just a single goal each, they are no less dominant on home ice this round than they were last round or in the regular season where they lost just twice in regulation.

The Kings, however, are coming off a huge Game 5 win where Jonathan Quick posted his third shutout of these playoffs en route to a 3-0 victory over their rivals from Northern California. But after going 10-1 on the road last postseason, the Kings are just 1-4 away from Staples Center this season and if they hope to return to the Western Conference Finalfor a second-straight year, they are going to need a much better result.

May 21, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) battles for position against Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) during the third period of game four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

To say that offense has been hard to come by in this series is a bit of an understatement and not because both offenses have been lacking so much as both goaltenders have been solid. Both Quick and Antti Niemi are in prime playoff form and as for the latter, he will enter Sunday’s contest much too determined to have his team bow out altogether.

Scoring the winner in Game 5 on Thursday, Anze Kopitar tallied just his second goal in his last 27 games dating back to the regular season so the Slovenian is just one of a number of Kings who need to step up their offensive game.

Some good news did come Los Angeles’s way on Saturday as Jarret Stoll, who’s been sidelined with a concussion since Game 1, was back on the ice, albeit in a green non-contact jersey. Stoll was lightly skating and considering his status, his return time has yet to be determined. With that said, it is still a positive sign to see the 30-year-old back on the ice.

In Game 6, the Kings will need to contain most notably Logan Couture who recorded both game-winning goals in San Jose’s home-ice wins in Games 3 and 4. Patrick Marleau is also someone to keep an eye on as the former second-overall pick has a pair of assists at the HP Pavilion this series.

But as far as Kings fans are concerned, the past is the past and they want nothing more than to see their team rid themselves of the Sharks and move on to Round Number Three.

In any case, the Los Angeles Kings hope San Jose’s first blemish on home ice this postseason will also be their final one.

We’ll see what happens when the action starts at 5pm PST (8pm EST).

Enjoy the game!