Kings right wing Viktor Arvidsson skates as San Jose Sharks right wing Justin Bailey (90) falls to the ice during the first period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings defenseman Andreas Englund (5) defends against San Jose Sharks right wing Kevin Labanc, right, during the first period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings defenseman Matt Roy skates during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
San Jose Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (29) defends against Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (84) during the first period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro, left, defends against Kings defenseman Matt Roy during the first period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings defenseman Matt Roy skates during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings right wing Adrian Kempe, right, scores against San Jose Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood during the first period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings right wing Adrian Kempe is congratulated as he skates by the bench after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Kyle Burroughs, left, shoves Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov during the first period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala skates with the puck during the second period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings defenseman Andreas Englund (5) and San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin (11) are separated after a fight during the second period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala skates during the second period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Calen Addison (33) and Kings center Trevor Lewis (61) work for position next to Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood during the third period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
San Jose Sharks right wing Filip Zadina, left, and Kings right wing Alex Laferriere vie for the puck during the third period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, right, defends against San Jose Sharks center Mikael Granlund during the third period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
San Jose Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, center, defends the net during the third period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
San Jose Sharks right wing Justin Bailey, left, skates with the puck as Kings center Akil Thomas defends during the third period on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings defenseman Andreas Englund, left, and goalie David Rittich celebrate after their 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala, center right, and goalie David Rittich, right, touch helmets after the team’s 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in San Jose. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)
SAN JOSE — Akil Thomas scored his first NHL goal and David Rittich stopped 15 shots as the Kings beat the San Jose Sharks, 2-1, on Thursday night to improve their playoff position.
Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who moved seven points ahead of St. Louis for the second Western Conference wild card with six games remaining. The Kings also stayed one point behind Nashville for the top wild card and climbed within one point of Vegas for third place in the Pacific Division.
Klim Kostin scored for the last-place Sharks, who have lost 11 of 12 and are 0-7-1 in their last eight games against the Kings. Mikael Granlund had an assist to extend his point streak to six games.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves in the loss.
Kempe scored his 25th goal on a breakaway midway through the first period to give the Kings an early lead.
Thomas scored 18 seconds later to make it 2-0. The 24-year-old center was playing his second NHL game. He had 22 goals in 61 games this season for Ontario in the American Hockey League.
Kostin put the Sharks on the board with 1:52 left and Blackwood pulled for an extra skater.
The Kings outshot the Sharks 27-16.
Rittich’s best save came in the first period when he stopped Filip Zadina on a partial breakaway.
Kings center Phillip Danault missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.
