SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Joe Thornton got San Jose off to a fast start with a power-play goal in the first period and TJ Galiardi added a goal in the second to help the Sharks force a decisive seventh game with a 2-1 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night. Antti Niemi made 24 saves as the Sharks matched Los Angeles three home wins in this series with a third of their own. San Jose won all three games by 2-1 scores. Game 7 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. While the Kings seemingly have the advantage of home ice that has been so paramount this series, road teams in NHL history are 8-8 in seventh games of series where the home team has won the first six games, according to STATS LLC. Dustin Brown scored the lone goal for Los Angeles and Jonathan Quick made 24 saves. The Kings have lost 11 of 12 road games but have been unbeatable at home, winning all six playoff games and 13 straight at Staples Center since the end of the regular season. The Kings tried to end it in San Jose, putting pressure on Niemi early in the final period in search of the equalizer. But they couldnt break through against a strong forecheck late to the delight of the loud crowd chanting "Beat LA! Beat LA!" from the start of the night. After taking a 1-0 lead early, the Sharks went more than 15 minutes without a shot before regaining their stride early in the second period. Galiardi beat Quick with a wrist shot from the faceoff circle for his first career playoff goal to make it 2-0 and San Jose had a chance to break the game open when Justin Williams was sent to the box for a double-minor high-sticking penalty. But Quick and the Kings killed off all 4 minutes of power-play time and then got back into the game with just over 6 minutes left in the second when Brown banked a shot from behind the goal line off Niemi and into the net. The Sharks started fast thanks to three early power plays and the desperation of an elimination game to continue the trend in this series of the home team scoring first when they converted on a two-man advantage. With Mike Richards already in the box for tripping Brent Burns, Anze Kopitar shot a puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty. San Jose patiently worked the puck around during the 5-on-3 advantage and took the lead when Joe Pavelski slid a pass across the goalmouth to Thornton, who shot it in from the side of the net to end a drought of 102:14 dating to the second period in Game 4. The Sharks were lucky that lead held up for the period as they were scrambling after that in part because of an injury that knocked defenceman Justin Braun out for the final 16 minutes of the period. Los Angeles took the last eight shots of the period, with Niemi making two tough saves to rob Trevor Lewis on the power play and also stopping Kyle Clifford on a rebound in close. The Kings also were unlucky, hitting three posts in the period. NOTES: The Kings havent allowed more than three goals in 32 straight playoff games, starting with last years run to the Stanley Cup. ... Braun returned in the second period. ... F Adam Burish returned for the Sharks for the first time since breaking his right hand in Game 4 of the first round against Vancouver. ... The Kings played F Jordan Nolan in place of rookie Tyler Toffoli. Custom Avalanche Jerseys . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Rob Ramage Jersey Large . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. http://www.customavalanchejersey.com/custom-rob-ramage-jersey-large-77b.html .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Custom Avalanche Jersey China . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Cheap Custom Avalanche Jersey . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Alastair Cook has said that the ECB needs to give serious consideration to employing a full-time spin-bowling coach for the national side after the punishment inflicted on the England attack in India.Cook observed how his spinners, specifically Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, had appeared more comfortable and confident when Saqlain Mushtaq was with the team as a spin-bowling consultant, a stay which ended after the third Test in Mohali and that had already been an extension on the original deal which had only covered the first Test in Rajkot.England have not had a full-time spin-bowling coach since Mushtaq Ahmed ended his tenure in 2014. Saqlain was first used by England last summer when he joined the squad during the Test series against Pakistan and he has made a favourable impression.The coincidence when Saqlain was around and how much better we bowled as a group, thats something the system or whoever needs to look at, in terms of our spinners, Cook said.While Moeen struggled ever to really gain a foothold in the series with the ball, Rashids returns certainly back up Cooks view. Rashid took 18 of his 23 wickets in the series during the three Tests when Saqlain was present. In those matches he averaged 28.67 while in the final two Tests he took five wickets at 69.England used six spin bowlers throughout the series: Moeen, Rashid, Zafar Ansari, Liam Dawson, Gareth Batty and Joe Root. Their combined returns across the five Tests amounted to 40 wickets at 48.10, which was second worst return for a group of English spinners in India, behind the 1992-93 side. On that tour, a 3-0 whitewash, Indias batsmen flayed the frontline combination of John Emburey, Phil Tufnell and Ian Salisbury to such an extent that GGraeme Hick emerged as the leading spinner.dddddddddddd Salisbury had begun the tour as a net bowler before being drafted into the Test side after Emburey and Tufnell had been treated with disdain in the warm-ups.Significantly, too, the class of 2016 also conceded runs at a higher rate - 3.55 an over - than on any previous tour of India, which meant Cook was unable to rely on them even for control during long days in the field. The lack of control from the spinners had also been exposed during the two Tests in Bangladesh, while there had been the same problem against Pakistan in the UAE last year when Englands quick bowlers had been outstanding but any pressure was released when the spinners bowled.I think everyone can see we are suited to playing in seaming conditions, Cook said. Theres no point hiding behind that fact. These conditions have tested us to our limits and I really dont want to be disrespectful to Mo and Adil but they are not as good as Ashwin and Jadeja yet. They havent quite got the control and consistency, certainly in the first innings when theres not much happening.Mo has done an amazing job for us over a long period in terms of becoming Englands No. 1 spinner. Hes two wickets away from 100 so hes done amazing things and will only get better and better.Without being disrespectful, without two gun, world-class spinners, winning in these conditions is going to be hard. In other conditions with our seamers and spinners, who are decent without being completely world-class, well compete with anyone. But this is as hard as it gets for this side at the moment. ' ' '