Kings Top Coyotes 4-0 In Game 2: Jeff Carter Scores Hat Trick (VIDEO)

Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter (77) scores a goal on Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 15, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Jeff Carter scored three goals, Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots and the Los Angeles Kings matched an NHL record with their seventh straight road playoff victory, beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 Tuesday night to take control of Western Conference finals.

Los Angeles dominated the opener and was even better in Game 2, withstanding Phoenix's initial push and string of penalties for a 2-0 series lead.

Dwight King scored his third goal in two games and Quick tied a team record with his third career playoff shutout to give the Kings a dominating lead heading into Game 3 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The Kings have won nine straight road playoff games in two seasons, matching the NHL record set by the New York Islanders from 1982-83.

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Comments

[catmagnet]

01:57 PM on 05/16/2012

Definitely pulling for the Kings in the playoffs....would be nice to have another Clarkson University alum on the Cup along with Eric Cole, Todd Marchant and Kent Huskins. GO WILLIE MITCHELL!

[FirstGame72]

01:29 PM on 05/16/2012

I still say that the most underrated decade for any NHL team in the modern era (so post 6 team league) was the 1975-84 Islanders.
That team had perhaps the best ten straight seasons (one goal short of making the final four 10 years in a row) of any NHL team ever (again, after expansion, so not including that sad 6 team nhl league).
The sports media never took to those Islander teams (because they stole headlines from the rangers and weren't based in canada) so they have never received the credit and accolades they deserve.
They do have 5 stars from those years in the NHL hall of fame (trottier, bossy, gillies, potvin and smith) but there's no reason why left wing John Tonelli is not in also.

[tobo]

03:01 PM on 05/16/2012

Would they've been strong enough to beat the Habs dynasty led by "The Flower"?

[FirstGame72]

03:25 PM on 05/16/2012

Probably not. The 1976-80 Canadiens were better than the 1980-84 Islanders (random fact: when the 1970's canadien dynasty was at it's peak, in 1976 and '77, the islanders were the only team to beat them in those two playoff years. the habs went 12-1 in the 1977 playoffs with their only loss to the isles and 12-2 in the 1977 playoffs with the two losses to the islanders).
But I was talking about (or "aboot" if you're from the great white north) a TEN year period. So I still say that the 1975-84 Isles were better than the 1971-80 Habs.

[tobo]

10:57 AM on 05/16/2012

I was expecting this to happen to the Yotes. They've overachieved, but aren't good enough for the Cup. Anyway, more important: this could've been their last home game at Glendale.

Let's hope the Kings win both home games and sweep this series. A day later, Bettman announces that the league has sold the Coyotes to Quebec-businessman PK Péladeau and that starting next season, the Quebec Nordiques will play at the Colisee while a new arena is being constructed next door.

[cameron d]

11:52 AM on 05/16/2012

Maybe it's because I'm Canadian, but you and I both know that Phoenix doesn't deserve to have an NHL team in the first place. Quebec, on the other hand, never should have lost their team.

[FirstGame72]

01:19 PM on 05/16/2012

Hold on. What makes you think Los Angeles deserves a hockey team any more or less than Phoenix? Just because they've had a NHL team for much longer and you're used to it?
The Kings haven't managed to win a Stanley Cup since joining the NHL in 1967-68. How many of the other original expansion teams from that season, or any of the ones that joined the NHL up to the four WHA teams in 1980 still haven't been able to win a cup?

[tobo]

02:25 PM on 05/16/2012

Aubut was an *$&é" for selling his team to a couple of Denver buisinessmen because they offered more than a QC group.

[IndependentAndProud]

05:24 AM on 05/16/2012

Good grief. I am in the LA area and I didn't realize what was going on with our hockey team. Wow.

[MrSimythe]

08:30 AM on 05/16/2012

Well spread the word out there is LA. The Kings are having their best season since Gretzky.

[tobo]

02:26 PM on 05/16/2012

I hope they crush the Rangers or Devils in the finals. Looking at those two teams is painful: the dead puck era is back in full force. Camping in front of the goal and blocking each and every shot.

[RS]

10:08 AM on 05/16/2012

Yes indeed IndependentAndProud. Just like they did against Vancouver and St. Louis, the Kings are proving once again they're too "Quick" for their opponents.

;^)

[sorry, I just HAD to get that one in -- I'll bet the Kings' goalie Jonathan Quick probably gets a lot of ribbing from the media because of his surname]

:^)

[Stevie Crudes]

03:51 AM on 05/16/2012

GKG!

[bmwracer]

01:07 AM on 05/16/2012

Kings are playing out of their minds.... Incredible.

[himaui]

01:37 AM on 05/16/2012

And the Coyotes completely imploded tonight, a lot of ugly penalties and misconducts. I'm glad that both guys are ok after the Hanzal and Doan boarding incidents.

[bmwracer]

09:24 AM on 05/16/2012

Yup, suspensions should be in order, but as one of the Kings players said, "It won't happen, since no one was carried out on a stretcher."

Sadly, I would tend to agree.

[kahunacook]

09:30 AM on 05/16/2012

Dustin Brown took a beating between the Hanzal hit and Mike Smith chopping him in the back of the legs. And then Brown gets called for embellishment while going down from that hit. The Yotes need to learn quickly the difference between playing aggressively and playing dirty. You rarely win playing shorthanded.