Stanley Cup Final Game 1
Los Angeles Kings
vs.
New Jersey Devils
Prudential Center
Newark, New Jersey
8:00 PM EST
The 2012 Stanley Cup Final gets started on Wednesday night with Game 1 between two teams who few predicted would be playing this late into May.
The Los Angeles King were the last team to clinch a spot in Western Conference playoffs, but proved that anything can happen in hockey's thrilling second season. L.A. mauled the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in five games in the first round and then swept the second-seeded St. Louis Blues. Led by talented netminder Jonathan Quick, the Kings handled No. 3 Phoenix in five games while breaking a franchise record going a perfect 8-0 on the road.
Meanwhile, 40-year-old goaltender Martin Brodeur and veteran Ilya Kovalchuk helped the Devils earn the No. 6 seed in the East. New Jersey needed seven games to beat No. 3 Florida in the East quarterfinals, but manhandled Philadelphia in the second round by winning four straight after losing Game 1. The Devils then came back from a 2-1 deficit in the Eastern Conference finals against their Hudson River rival New York Rangers and won the series in six games, becoming the second No. 6 seed ever to reach the finals.
The Kings have looked unstoppable but will they have enough firepower to take down the Devils in Game 1? Or will Brodeur continue to dominate giving New Jersey a 1-0 series lead?
Scroll down for live updates.
| @ ToddCordell : The #NJDevils are a resilient bunch and have bounced back throughout the entire post-season. Expect a much better effort Saturday. |
| @ JimFox19 : Williams smarts with pass to open space-Kopitar #SICK hands and patience-it was a game with no room that ends with a breakaway-#LAKings |
| @ RothmanHockey : They teach goaltenders to force the skater to make the first move. Brodeur always has to do it the hard way, it failed him there. #Kings win |
| @ KatieStrangESPN : #NJD #LAK Kopitar wins it 2-1 for Kings 8:13 into OT as LA takes Game 1 |
Kopitar gets the puck and goes one-on-one with Brodeur and scores the game-winner! KINGS WIN AND STAY PERFECT ON THE ROAD
Devils had a 3-on-2 as Elias crossed it to Clarkson but he fanned on the shot and gave it right to the Kings.
Kovalchuk gets off a couple good shots but Quick stops them. Looked like the Devils had an open net but couldn't get a good shot.
Kovalchuk takes it in and tries to center it but the puck goes right by Quick with no Devils sticks on it.
Clarkson gets the puck by center ice, takes it in himself and makes a move to get a shot off but it's stopped by Quick.
| @ helenenothelen : this is the 24th overtime game of the 2012 playoffs, third-highest total for one playoff year. Road teams are 14-9. Kings are 2-0. |
| @ TGfireandice : Pucks has bounced a lot on ice and off boards oddly. Made for a sloppy looking game with both teams also a bit off their games. |
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| @ TGfireandice : Devils are 4-1 in OT games in the playoffs. Kings are 2-0. Both teams advanced to Stanley Cup Finals on overtime wins. |
| @ Real_ESPNLeBrun : OK cool cats, time for OT heroes. Give me Clarkson for the Devils and Doughty for the Kings |
Lewis dumps it in the zone for the Kings. But Kovalchuck gets it and drives it over the head of Quick. PERIOD IS OVER. WE'RE GOING TO OVERTIME!
Richards gets the puck and takes it in, delays and fires a wrist shot into the belly of Brodeur. Another save. Fans chanting "Marty."
| @ DennisTFP : Why the future Hall of Famer we should be talking about today is Brodeur not Lidstrom. |
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Posted: 05/30/2012 7:26 pm Updated: 05/31/2012 6:33 am