Sharks dispatch the Kings

The San Jose Sharks still have the Anaheim Ducks in mind.

Sunday, the Sharks beat the Kings, 6-2, to move back into a tie with the Dallas Stars for fifth place in the Western Conference. The Sharks and the Stars each have 102 points. The Ducks lead both teams in the Pacific Division with 106.

“We still have a chance to catch Anaheim,” San Jose Coach Ron Wilson said. “We have to win on Wednesday night against the Ducks and then get a break or two to win the division. And, Dallas is still in the mix too.”

Wilson was especially pleased about the Sharks’ second period, in which they scored four goals and turned a tie score into a rout. “I loved the way we possessed them in the second. We just put the thing away.”

The Kings have scored eight goals in their last five games with six of the eight coming on power plays. They’ve lost four consecutive.

“They just dominated us in the second period,” Kings Coach Marc Crawford said. “Obviously they smelled blood, and they were way too much for us to handle.”

Jonathan Cheechoo had his third three-goal game of the season for San Jose. It was his eighth career hat trick. Over his last 10 games, he has 17 points on 12 goals and five assists.

“It’s not really that big of a deal,” Cheechoo said of his hat trick. “The whole team is going well and that’s more important. You can’t wait for the playoffs to start to play well.”