Last night, the Los Angeles Kings won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history by defeating the New Jersey Devils 6-1 at the Staples Center. After winning the series in six games, the Kings became the first number eight seed to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup. Los Angeles overcame adversity throughout the season, used their talents to make the playoffs, and played their best hockey at the right time of the season to become the unlikely Kings of the NHL.
The Kings put on one of the most dominating playoff performances in recent history. The team went 16-4 in the playoffs and an impressive 10-1 on the road. Before defeating the Devils in the Finals, the Kings knocked off the top three teams in the West in the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, and Phoenix Coyotes.
Much like the Bruins of last season, the Kings were successful because of a combination of stellar goaltending, physical play, and timely goal scoring. Jonathan Quick, who was outstanding all season, was the undisputed Conn Smythe Trophy winner due to his unbelievable play throughout the entire postseason. Each season in the NHL, the American-born Quick has been fine-tuning his game and now has shown that he can perform in high-pressure situations. If Quick continues to play this well, he will be a favorite for the starting position for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team in 2014.
The play of the defensemen, led by Drew Doughty with 16 points and a +11 rating, prevented opponents from getting shots on net and provided a consistent physical presence on the ice. Collectively, the forwards worked hard defensively and never missed an opportunity to make a big hit. The physical play of the Kings wore down other teams and led to several power play opportunities.
The most surprising aspect of the run by the Kings was the team’s sudden ability to score goals. Throughout the regular season, the Kings were among the worst in the league in goal scoring and lost a great deal of games due to their inability to score. However, the team found offensive life when it mattered most. Captain Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Justin Williams each elevated their game to a new level and combined for 55 points in 20 games throughout the playoffs. Furthermore, mid-season acquisition Jeff Carter got healthy by the end of the season and came up with timely goals, including a hat trick in the Western Conference Finals, in the playoffs.
The Kings proved that if a team has an elite goaltender, it needs to just make the playoffs to have a chance to win it all. Despite some turbulence during the regular season, Darryl Sutter deserves a great deal of credit for putting all the pieces together at the end of the year. While many people may not have seen this run coming, there is no doubt the Los Angeles Kings have proven they deserve the title of Stanley Cup Champions.
