LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ilya Kovalchuk has an Olympic gold medal but he is back in the NHL to add the one thing missing from his stellar career — a Stanley Cup.Ironically Authentic Pekka Rinne Jersey Kids , Kovalchuk’s return to the league is with the Los Angeles Kings, who denied him a chance to win a title in 2012 when they beat the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final.Kovalchuk will make his Kings debut Friday when they open the season hosting San Jose. It will be the 35-year old Russian’s first NHL game in five seasons.“I went back to Russia to try and win the Olympics but this is a new challenge,” Kovalchuk said following Kings practice earlier this week. “I feel like I have some gas left in my tank and I’m excited for the challenge.”Kovalchuk signed a three-year, $18.75 million deal with Los Angeles after five seasons playing for SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he led the league in scoring twice and won two championships.What Kovalchuk takes bigger pride in, though, is leading the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” to a gold medal in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He was named the MVP of the Olympic tournament with five goals and two assists.When it comes to Kovalchuk assessing where he feels his game is at, he acknowledges that it remains a work in progress.“I’ll have a better idea how things are going after the first game,” Kovalchuk said. “Conditioning-wise I feel good. It will take some time to understand how much the game has changed. It’s a challenge.”Kings coach John Stevens placed Kovalchuk on different lines trying to find the right combination. He played mostly left wing and had a goal and an assist in four preseason games.Injuries to Dustin Brown (finger) Roman Josi Jersey , Jonny Brodzinski (shoulder) and Gabriel Vilardi (back) will have Kovalchuk moving to right wing on the Kings’ top line with Anze Kopitar at center and Alex Iafallo at left wing.Stevens said Iafallo and Kopitar’s skills as forecheckers and passers should blend well with Kovalchuk’s reputation of being one of the most consistent scorers in the game.“He’s known for his shot, but I think he’s an elite playmaker as well,” Stevens said. “I think they need to continue to spend time together, but I certainly see some chemistry in what they’re doing out there and how they read off each other.”Stevens was not pleased with the Kings’ 1-6-1 preseason record, but he has noticed his veteran club increasing its intensity with the regular season starting.“Obviously, we didn’t play the way we wanted to but have so many veteran guys and know what it takes. We are confident in ourselves,” Kovalchuk said. “The preseason games have given us time to adjust to the system and get our legs going.”Los Angeles signed Kovalchuk to inject scoring into a team that has struggled putting pucks into the net. The Kings averaged 2.89 goals per game last season, which was 16th, and their 155 goals in five-on-five situations was the third-lowest of a playoff team.They also severely lacked scoring depth with only four players who scored 16 goals or more. Only Arizona and Edmonton had fewer skaters, with three apiece.During 11 seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers and the Devils http://www.officialpredators.com/authentic-adidas-ryan-hartman-jersey , Kovalchuk had 816 points — including 417 goals — in 816 games.Kopitar — who is coming off a career-best 92-point season — is hoping Kovalchuk can be the vital piece that allows the Kings to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014.“He fits in very well. He’s a high-scoring winger, he’s proven that everywhere. We’re hoping he provides the same thing for us,” Kopitar said. ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues seem to finally be gaining some positive momentum this season, but they may be without one of their biggest offensive pieces as they host the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.Center Brayden Schenn (upper-body injury) seems likely to miss his second straight game. Schenn, who left Saturday’s contest against the Minnesota Wild, did some light work in practice Thursday but was nowhere near full go.“A little bit (of work), but obviously he wasn’t involved in everything, so again, question mark for tomorrow,” Blues coach Mike Yeo told NHL.com.Article continues below ...Forward Pat Maroon will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season.Maroon Ryan Johansen Jersey , a St. Louis native, signed a one-year $1.75 million free agent contract with the Blues in the offseason. He has seven assists in the first 13 games, but is struggling to score.“I think it’s been very frustrating for him, which is understandable,” Yeo told NHL.com. “First off, you know how important it is for him to put that jersey on, what that means to him and how he wants to contribute. Secondly, he’s betting on himself this year. We know how important that is. It’s tough. We’ve seen a lot of good things despite him not scoring, his forechecking, his puck presence in the offensive zone Viktor Arvidsson Jersey , his physicality, his power-play (contributions), all these things.“I think some things can start to get in your head and obviously confidence starts to play a part in that. I think maybe a little reset here can help him out.”Forward Nikita Soshkinov will replace Maroon in the lineup and will make his Blues debut. He will play on a line with Tyler Bozak and Alexander Steen.Soshkinov and Bozak were teammates in Toronto.“He’s been working hard and this will be a good chance for him,” Yeo told NHL.com. “He’s playing with a guy in Bozie that he’s familiar with, two guys that are responsible. I don’t expect perfection without the puck for Sosh; that’s not what I’m looking for. What I’m looking for is his speed to be a difference maker. He’s got two smart players who can read off of him. For me, the way I should see it is his speed should impact the game all over the ice. Hopefully we can see that tomorrow.”The Blues won once in three meetings against the Sharks last season.San Jose will be playing its second game in as many days after losing 4-3 at Dallas on Thursday night. The Sharks had their two-game winning streak snapped.Defenseman Brent Burns recorded two assists, including career No. 400, and forward Evander Kane tied the game 3-3 in the third period for the Sharks before center Devin Shore got the game-winner, his second goal of the night, at 14:13 of the third for the Stars.Sharks defenseman Joe Thornton played in his 1 Robin Lehner Jersey Womens ,500 career game. He is the 19th player in league history to reach that milestone.“He does things that people don’t even know or see to be able to play,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson told the San Jose Mercury News about Thornton. “If he ever shared his actual routine with everybody, people would not believe it. But you don’t put that much work in if you don’t truly, truly don’t love it. This is a really special person.”