San Jose Sharks need to show hatred for Los Angeles Kings

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

There’s no doubt that the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings have no love lost for each other. That’s a natural extension of the proximity these two squads have to each other though, as opposed to being fueled by a particular instance or play. While geographical rivalries are fun and seem to be all the rage this season after the league rolled out this current realignment, it’d be fun to see the Sharks up the emotional ante just a bit.

Right now it doesn’t feel any different when the Ducks roll into the Shark tank. Or the Phoenix Coyotes even. San Jose is a good team, and they are obviously compelled to play strong games against their divisional opponents.

Something simmers underneath the surface between the Kings and Sharks though. An unspoken heat that is only one monster collision away from spilling over. I’d never hope for a dirty hit to kick-start a more seething rivalry. Nothing along the Claude Lemieux on Kris Draper lines. I don’t want to see someone hurt.

I’d still like to see a little more animosity between L.A. and S.J. though. If for no other reason than because the Kings have managed to do something that the Sharks haven’t.

That video should make your blood boil. It should get to the likes of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau even more. Only the Detroit Red Wings have a longer active playoff streak than the Sharks, and that seems to be in jeopardy this season. Nine times in a row the Sharks have entered the Stanley Cup playoffs, and nine times they’ve failed to make it to the Finals. Let alone win.

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

When they look across the ice and see the visiting Kings, they should see an older brother that has gone on to bigger and better things than San Jose. They can treat it like a normal game all they want, but until they start taking L.A.’s success personally, this will always just be a proximity rivalry.

Once they come out to make a statement against the Kings every time they line up against them things will get interesting. Tensions between these two squads is always high, and it’s just a matter of time before a big Dustin Brown check or Scott Hannan crush sends this rivalry over the top.

Both of these teams are good. It’d just be nice to see a little big of hatred from the boys in teal.