NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 Schedule, Preview, Where to Watch: Kings and Rangers
The Los Angeles Kings and their high-powered offense are trying to take a 2-0 series lead in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Kings defeated the Rangers in game one 3-2 in overtime, defending their home ice.
The Kings' offense is very balanced. Their offensive leaders in this postseason are Marian Gaborik with 12 goals, Anze Kopitar with 24 points and 19 assists. The offense is balanced, but their goaltender, Jonathan Quick, is no slouch himself. Quick is a former Conn Smythe winner and has led this team to a Stanley Cup victory before.
For the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist has been tremendous this postseason, but this is his first Stanley Cup appearance. The Rangers leading goal scorer so far is Carl Hagelin, who has seven goals.
In Game 1, New York took a two-goal lead in the first period only to see it gradually disappear. The Rangers offense wouldn't score another goal for the remainder of the game and would only muster three total shots in the entire third period. Los Angeles outshot the Rangers 20-3 in the third period bringing their shot advantage to 43-27.
Much of this was due to physical play. The Kings out-hit New York throughout Game 1 and looked to be the hungrier team.
Looking forward to Game 2, the Rangers offense is going to have to relieve goaltender Henrik Lundqvist of attack zone time. The Rangers defense is also going to have to play more physical and set the tone if they're going to steal Game 2. The Kings will be playing at home, so this is still their game to win until traveling to Madison Square Garden in Game 3.
The Kings have shown to be one of the most resilient teams in recent history. All three of their previous series have gone seven games with the Kings winning all three. This is the same team that came back from a near impossible 0-3 deficit against the San Jose Sharks. The Kings are trying to win their second Stanley Cup in the last four seasons.
With the Lakers and Clippers both watching the NBA Finals from home, it's good to see somebody can fill the seats at the Staples Center. The last time a New York-Los Angeles championship took place was in 1981, when the Dodgers and the Yankees faced each other in the World Series. Even the Knicks and Lakers have had their rivalry moments, clashing with each other in the '70s. The East vs. West coast rivalry doesn't get any better than this.
Schedule, Date, Live Stream
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals will played at 7 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. PST Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The game can be watched on NBC. For live stream, go to NBC Live Extra.
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