Kings not Out of Steam, just riding a Tougher Track

The L.A. Kings have been charging through this Stanley Cup playoffs like it was theirs all along, and the teams that stood in their way were just a technicality. That may have been the case until they got to the Final; but who would have thought that the New Jersey Devils would bring them their toughest competition yet? It’s not hard to believe if you look at the way this series has played out, or the regular season standings.

Los Angeles was the 13th team in the regular season standings, while New Jersey was the 9th. It would make sense that the better team would win the series, wouldn’t it? Maybe in other playoffs, but this 13th placed team beat all other teams they have faced in these playoffs – and all of those teams ranked higher than the Kings in the standings, too.

But the Devils have also overcome their share of great teams in these playoffs as well, even if they did go about it in a quieter fashion. In the first round they took out the Florida Panthers, a team ranked third to their sixth in the standings; and they faced off against the New York Rangers — the first place team in the conference — in Round 3, and blasted their way through them. Is it really that unlikely that they could defeat the Kings next?

Crossbars have also played their part during this playoff series, taking great opportunities away from both games — first for the Devils in Game 1, and then again in Game 5 when the Kings were the ones to hear the dreaded ping of rubber-on-metal. Either could have gone in, and either could have made this series look quite different, or have ended it altogether.

So who’s going to win now? Those who predicted the Kings (which is the world excluding New Jersey,) really have no need to worry. Yes the team is definitely facing their biggest challenge yet; but that is what the Stanley Cup Final is supposed to be about. And no, it’s not the blowout everyone was predicting back in Game 3; but really, would anyone have been happy with such a dominant, and short, final round?

The Kings, still up 3-2 in the series, will most likely still win the Cup. After all, they only need one and as Kings’ winger Justin Williams said after Saturday’s loss, “We got two more chances and we’re going back home.” And if they don’t win the Cup tonight or in Game 7? They’ll at least have one more record to go along with this incredible postseason — they will only be the second team in NHL history to lose after leading 3-0 in the Final Round.

Categorized in: NHL