It's not quite a complete changing of the guard, but Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski are moving to the forefront of a group that for years was headlined by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

All four provided a critical play whenever one was needed against the Canucks in the first round. Couture, enjoying a late-night coming-out party, had eight points (three goals), as did Pavelski (four goals). Thornton had six points (one goal), and Marleau added five (four goals), including the overtime goal that ended the first-round sweep.

Pavelski in particular has responded in a big way after going without a point in last year's five-game elimination by the Blues.

Brent Burns continued to thrive on the wing with three points and disruptive size, and Raffi Torres' speed is a dimension the Sharks have lacked in previous years. Scott Gomez returned from injury to play two games, and his experience as a two-time Stanley Cup champion brings stability to the bottom six.

The Sharks did lose top-six forward Martin Havlat in Game 1 (he hasn't practiced since and his return is undetermined), and fourth-liner Adam Burish has an upper-body injury and will not play in this series. That could provide an opportunity for scoring minor-leaguer Bracken Kearns or rugged Matt Pelech, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound converted defenseman who had 238 penalty minutes with Worcester of the American Hockey League this season.

Jonathan Quick got off to a terrible start in the series, when his giveaway handed the Blues the win in Game 1. Rather than crumble, Quick recovered and showcased some of the form that won him the Conn Smythe Trophy last year.

Though he lost as many games in the first round this year as he did in the first three rounds last year (two), his .944 save percentage is minutely below the .946 he totaled during last year's playoff run. And after allowing four goals in the first two games against the Blues, he let in six in the final four, including a 30-save shutout in Game 3 that turned the tide in the series.

In a series that averaged three power plays per game, special teams was a small, but critical part of the Kings' first-round victory. They scored two power-play goals, one by Brown in Game 2 and one by Carter in Game 5. The Kings won the Cup with a power play that ranked 12th of the 16 playoff teams last year, but certainly they'd like to see it produce a bit more in the second round.

The Kings' penalty killers shut down the Blues' power play, allowing two goals on 17 chances. Quick was the unit's best player, stopping 20 of 22 shots when his team was down a man. The Kings' penalty killing was a major force in winning the Cup last year -- it tied for the playoff lead at 92.1 percent -- and with a similar roster playing similar roles, that same level of play will be expected.

Slava Voynov: The second-year blueliner had a strong first full season in the NHL and carried that play into the first round against the Blues. He jumped into the rush in overtime in Game 5 to score the winning goal, and scored the only goal of Game 3 as the Kings stole momentum in the series. While chipping in offensively, he also managed to post a team-best plus-5 rating. He averaged 21:42 of ice time per game in the first round, showing he's earned the trust of Sutter and the coaching staff.

Raffi Torres: The hard-hitting forward was moved to a line alongside Couture and Marleau after Havlat was injured, and Torres is making a difference. In addition to scoring the overtime winner in Game 2, his style revived Marleau, who scored three even-strength goals with Torres on the ice after getting one in his final 20 regular-season games. Likely to stay on that line even if Havlat returns, Torres creates matchup problems for any opponent (and, as an aside, he has two minor penalties in his past 21 games).

Kings will win if … They continue to play with the confidence of champions. Quick's gaffe in Game 1 could have crushed a lesser player or team, as could falling into a 2-0 series hole. Instead, the players shrugged it off and went to work. This team won't beat itself. Someone will have to outplay them in all phases of the game, which is easier said than done.

Sharks will win if … They keep doing what they've been doing. Their stars have played like stars, with Couture having his breakout moment. Their goalie and special teams have been excellent, the entire team seems focused, and they even learned how to win on the road. With the home-ice success they've had all season, this is a dangerous team.