NEWARK, NJ – For the second consecutive game, the Kings and Devils went to overtime to decide a deadlock in their Stanley Cup battle. Sadly for the Devils, the result was the same as that of Game One as Jeff Carter had the magic touch tonight giving the Kings a 2-1 victory in Game Two and a 2-0 series lead.
After a tight sixty minutes where despite giving up the first goal, the Devils battled back to tie, the Kings dominated overtime. The Kings outshot the Devils 11-3 in the extra frame despite several great chances by New Jersey to tie the game. The winning goal was classic Kings Hockey featuring a relentless puck pursuit and finding the right opportunity to capitalize on New Jersey’s defensive breakdowns.
The winning goal began with Jeff Carter racing down the right wing. Carter fired a shot on net that was saved by Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, but squirted through to the far side where a still speeding Carter picked up the puck and skated high into the slot. The veteran sniper sent a second shot low to the stick side of Brodeur and finding the back of the net to give the Kings their second victory. It was Carter’s fifth of the playoffs.
The game began the way the Kings like it by scoring the first goal. Nearly eight minutes into the opening period, Drew Doughty took control. After looking to make a play and not finding an opportunity to pass, Doughty took the puck over the New Jersey blue line and fired a fifty-foot shot that beat Brodeur to the stick side. The shot seemed to fool Brodeur who otherwise looked sharp for a second straight game.
The Devils finished the period with an 11-6 edge on shots, but could not solve Quick and the Los Angeles defense. After a second period with shots even at 9 a piece, New Jersey entered the third period knowing they would need to take some chances and three minutes in, they did and it paid off.
New Jersey forward Steve Bernier dug the puck out of the corner and sent it back to the right point. Defenseman Marek Zidlicky accepted the pass and fired a blast toward the Los Angeles goal where Ryan Carter tipped the puck causing Kings goaltender Jonathon Quick to lose it in traffic before it found the back of the net. It was Carter’s fifth of the playoffs.
New Jersey pressured the Kings defense the remainder of the period, but Quick remained solid keeping Los Angeles in the game. The Devils best late chance came with just fourteen seconds remaining in the third period. Zach Parise delivered a centering pass from behind the Kings goal to a waiting Ilya Kovalchuk who shot the puck which was deflected and hit the top side of the cross bar. This was the Devils last genuine scoring chance in the game.
The Kings dominated overtime with an edge in shots of 11-3. While the Devils held the lead in overall shots 35-32, the Kings led in blocked shots 19-13 and kept the Devils frustrated.
The Kings pushed their overtime record to 4-0 and an overall playoff road record to 10-0.
It was the first time in 61 years that the first two Stanley Cup Final games required extra time for a decision. In the 1951 Stanley Cup Final, Detroit and Toronto split the first two games before the Maple Leafs won the series 4 games to 1.
The Los Angeles Kings have history on their side. The last 9 of 11 teams to win the first two games in the Final have won the series.
Game Three is 8:00 PM (ET) Monday at the Staples Center where the Devils desperately need a win to have any chance of getting back into the series.
Contact: dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
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