from Helene Elliott of the LA Times,

"We can treat this as the Stanley Cup Final. This game is huge," Doughty said Tuesday. "We can't get any further without a win, so I think that's how we're looking at it. This is the biggest game of our lives, of our careers, and there's no option but to win."

The Kings played a Game 7 against San Jose in the second round last season, but that series unfolded much differently. Last spring the Kings had home-ice advantage, and they don't have it this time. Each of their first two losses a year ago was by a 2-1 count — the first in overtime and the second in regulation — and this season they lost the first two games by a cumulative 13-5.

Each game of last season's series was won by the home team, but that hasn't happened this time. The Sharks won Game 3 at Staples Center in overtime and the Kings retaliated by blanking the Sharks in Game 5 at SAP Center on Saturday.

"It's not our most conventional way to go through a series," forward Mike Richards said, "but you've got to win, I guess, in different ways."

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