After eight meetings this season, the trend continues: the home team wins. With both teams undefeated on home ice against each other this year, the Los Angeles Kings hope that continues on Thursday night for Game 5 as they return home in hopes of ending their losing skid and regain a lead in their West Semi Final series against the San Jose Sharks.

After Game 1, each of the next three of games of this series has been decided by just a single goal. Unfortunately for the Kings, they were on the losing end of the two most recent in San Jose.

For the two games in San Jose, the Kings could be considered victims of bad officiating and while that is justified, the defending champs themselves would be quick to admit that they need a full 60-minute effort above all else if they have any hope of turning the momentum of the series back in the series.

May 14, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Justin Williams (14) and San Jose Sharks defenseman Justin Braun (61) battle for the puck during game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Staples Center. The Kings defeated the Sharks 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

They may have had a strong third period in Game 4 as the Kings outshot San Jose 14-2 in the final frame scoring once. Unfortunately for the Kings, they were down by a pair heading into the third and were outshot 15-3 in the opening frame. Thankfully, the Kings only surrendered one goal in very large part to the usually outstanding play of Jonathan Quick.

Like in Game 3, the Sharks weren’t able to muster much offense on home ice but they had enough to win as the Los Angeles offense just couldn’t come together at the right time – and that’s why everyone in LA is hoping some home cooking will do the Kings a lot of good in Game 5.

Whether you’re surprised or not, this series has turned out to be a low-scoring affair and while it may not seem the most exhilarating on the surface, the superb goaltending mixed in with the drama of having shoddy officiating (and oh yeah, Raffi Torres’s suspension) has made this Battle of California one to remember.

The Kings just hope they can come out on this series on the winning end. But first, they will need to use the Staples Center faithful to their advantage and make Game 5 theirs.

We’ll see if they can do just that on Thursday.

Enjoy the game!

SAN JOSE – Determined to carry over their momentum from Game 3, the San Jose Sharks came out of the gate swinging for the fences in Game 4. They outshot the Los Angeles Kings 15-3 in the opening period with a Brent Burns slapshot resulting in their only goal. But it was still enough to give them a lead through 20 minutes.

In the second, the Sharks added to their lead as the overtime hero of Game 3, Logan Couture, scored a power play goal with just under four minutes into the second.

While the Kings did have more opportunities in the second, there weren’t able to solve Antti Niemi.

In the third, it was Los Angeles’s turn to come out swinging as they outshot the Sharks 14-2. Mike Richardshelped the cause by scoring on the power play to cut the lead in half.

May 21, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (31) gathers the puck against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period of game four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While the Kings kept pushing to tie, however, Niemi only stepped up his game as the silver-and-black just could not get the equalizer as they lost their second-straight against a San Jose team who remains undefeated on home ice in the playoffs.

For the Kings, the effort is certainly there but the results are not. Heading back to Staples Center on Thursday night for Game 5, the Kings will hope for a rebound performance as they will most likely look at Game 5 as a must-win.

Jonathan Quick continues to play outstanding as does the Kings’ defensemen but it will be the offense who will need to step up their games a notch or two should Los Angeles hope to turn the momentum back in their favour.