Martin Jones will be between the pipes for the San Jose Sharks when they look for revenge against the Los Angeles Kings, head coach Peter DeBoer announced Tuesday.
Jones, who came to the Sharks from the Kings in the offseason, earned the nod over James Reimer for Game 1 at least. The tandem split time effectively for San Jose down the stretch.
In his first full season as an NHL starter, Jones posted a record of 37-23-3 with a 2.27 GAA and .918 save percentage.
Reimer, who landed in San Jose via trade from Toronto, started eight games for the Sharks and won six of them, including three shutouts.
As bitter rivals, this series promises to be among the most compelling of the opening round. The two most recently met in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, when the Kings erased a 3-0 Sharks series lead and won in Game 7 en route to a Stanley Cup championship.
The puck drops Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET.
