Friday, June 13, 2014

STANLEY CUP FINALS: Los Angeles Kings VS. New York Rangers

This post is a reference for the above referenced series, so check back here for each game.

Game 1: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick. New York started in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fourth of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on as Slava Voynov kicked a puck into his own net, which gave Carl Hagelin his seventh of the playoffs, officially a shorthanded goal set up by Brian Boyle and Ryan McDonagh. Los Angeles got on the board when Kyle Clifford scored, thanks to Jeff Carter. The Kings tied it on a second period Drew Doughty goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Justin Williams and Clifford. Los Angeles won with a Williams overtime goal, his eighth of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Williams, Clifford, and Doughty. Los Angeles has a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick. New York began in the first period with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his fourth of the postseason, passed from Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by McDonagh and Derick Brassard. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Jarret Stoll goal, his third of the postseason, via Justin Williams and Dwight King. New York shot back with a Martin St. Louis power play goal, his seventh of the playoffs, powered by Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider. The Kings pulled back with a Willie Mitchell power play goal, courtesy of Slava Voynov and Williams. The Rangers replied with a Brassard goal, his sixth of the postseason, made possible by Zuccarello. Los Angeles chipped back in the third period with a King goal, his third of the playoffs, fueled by Matt Greene and Williams, the latter getting a sock trick. The Kings tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal, his thirteenth of the postseason, going in unassisted. Los Angeles won on Mitchell's second goal of the game in the second overtime, assisted by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. The three stars were Mitchell, McDonagh, and Zuccarello, while Brassard, Williams, and King get honorable mentions. The Kings lead the series 2-0 as they head on the road.

Game 3: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his tenth of the postseason, fueled by Justin Williams and Slava Voynov. The Kings added on in the second period with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, powered by Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. Los Angeles extended the lead as Mike Richards scored his third of the postseason, thanks to Kyle Clifford. The final was 3-0, with the three stars being Quick (32 save shutout), Carter, and Richards. The Kings are on the brink of the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 series lead.

Game 4: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist. New York led off in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fifth of the postseason, guided in by John Moore and Derick Brassard. The Rangers added on in the second period as Martin St. Louis scored his eighth of the playoffs, thanks to Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dustin Brown goal, his sixth of the postseason, going in unassisted. This was as close as it got, with the final being 2-1. The three stars were Lundqvist (40 for 41 in saves), St. Louis, and Pouliot. The Rangers staved off elimination, but still trail 3-1 in the series.  

Game 5: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles struck first in the first period on a Justin Williams goal, his ninth of the postseason, via Dwight King and Jarret Stoll. New York tied it on a power play goal by Chris Kreider in the second period, his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Brad Richards. The Rangers took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Brian Boyle, his third of the postseason, with a lone assist by Carl Hagelin. The Kings retied it in the third period on a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his fourteenth of the playoffs, made possible by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles won in the second overtime with an Alec Martinez goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and Kyle Clifford. The Conn Smythe winner for playoff MVP was Justin Williams, and the Kings won the series 4-1 with a final score in Game 5 of 3-2.

As this season has drawn to a close, I am planning on taking this blog in a new direction. Obviously, my goal of working on baseball again did not pan out this year, and I will not attempt it again. I am still planning on returning to my third season of the KHL in September, and a month later a fourth season of the NHL. However, I have my doubts as to whether I will attempt another NFL season. I have found a stronger attachment to MLS Soccer, and would like to take it on as my third league, but it is an intensive weekend sport that would interfere with my ability to succeed with the NFL. As such, I will keep you all, my readers, up to date on my status for the NFL season as it approaches. Until then, I will be back in a couple of weeks to resume MLS after the World Cup, and into a very thin summer. We are approaching 25,000 views, and should get there in under four years, so that's very exciting for me. Thank you for your continued support and I will see you hockey fans in the fall. 

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