5 Los Angeles Kings Who Must Step Up to Extend 1st-Round Series

Staring down a 3-0 hole in their first-round series against the San Jose Sharks, the Los Angeles Kings will call upon certain players to come up big with the season at stake on Thursday.

LA’s top guns have disappointed thus far, while their rivals have largely been firing on all cylinders.

With that said, a handful of Kings boast a history of taking over games in the playoffs through physical play, clutch production and a stubborn refusal to lose.

Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar are the club’s two best players, but they don’t appear in this slideshow for different reasons. Doughty appears hampered by the injury he suffered toward season’s end, whereas Kopitar is consistently very good but cannot summon lightning in a bottle.

These are the five wild cards who must elevate their game for the Kings to claw back into the series. The order of the list is based on the impact that these players can have on the team's fate going forward, ranked from the lowest to the highest.

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