Stanley Cup Preview: Kings vs. Devils
By Ryan Queler
The art of the underdog is what makes sports, specifically hockey, a sport in which any team is capable to beat their opponents on any given night, so unique. The thrill of watching a team overcome multiple obstacles and prove all doubters wrong is always entertaining and providing of a "feel good" story in the end. Facing off at the Prudential Center for game 1 of the Stanley Cup will be the New Jersey Devils against the Los Angeles Kings. Face it, if you were to say you predicted this in September, or even before the start of the playoffs, you are probably lying. Plenty of analysts didn't even have either of these teams getting passed the first round. But don't feel bad for these teams: they have enjoyed every moment of quieting critics and defeating teams when everyone else counted them out. Whichever team is to hoist Lord's Stanley Cup will make history by becoming the lowest seed to ever be declared champions of the National Hockey League.
Current Status: New Jersey Devils
After a grueling 7 game series with the Florida Panthers, the Devils easily defeated their Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia Flyers in only 5 games. The next hurdle in their journey to the Cup was their archival Hudson River rival New York Rangers. Led by Martin Brodeur (who turned the clocks back at least ten years) the Devils were able to defeat the defensively sound Rangers. Although they were shutout in games 1 and 3, their resilient offense was a factor come late into the series. The fourth line consisting of Brian Gionta, Ryan Carter, and Steve Bernier continued their dominance and wearing down of opponents. Ilya Kovalchuk is living up to his mega million contract from two years ago, and leads all playoff skaters with his 18 points. Captain Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, and 13 other New Jersey Devils will be making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Current Status: Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have breezed through the Western Conference, needing only 14 games to defeat the #1,2, and 3 seeds. This is exactly the team that their fans had expected from the start of the season, and they are finally putting it together. After struggling throughout the season to score, they have found their scoring touch led their top performers such as Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Mike Richards. Jonathan Quick is playing at the top of his game, and paired with Martin Brodeur on the other side of the rink, this series will showcase two of the top goaltenders in the league. The Devils have home ice advantage, but the Kings are also undefeated on the road in the playoffs. Starting off in Newark should not be a problem for the Kings.
History
Offense: Even
Although a forward has not won the Conn Smythe Trophy since 1995 when Devil's forward Claude Lemieux won it, don't be surprised if that changes this year. Both teams present All Star forwards that have played well throughout the playoffs. For the Devils, it starts with Ilya Kovalchuk. His 7 goals and 11 assists make him the playoffs points leader with 18. Kovalchuk's presence on the power play is where he has done most of his damage in the postseason, with 5 of his 7 goals coming with the man advantage. The biggest strength of the Devils offense has been their aggressive three-man forecheck that has killed their opponents. Watching Zach Parise and Travis Zajac forecheck and battle to keep the puck in their opponent's zone truly is a thing of beauty. Outside of the forecheck, the Devil's depth has guided them through the playoffs, and they have gotten huge goals from some of the bottom 6 guys such as Gionta, Carter, and Ponikarovsky. Offensively, the Devils are the best team the Kings will have faced. Similarly to the Devils, the Kings also play an aggressive offensive game. Their top line of Brown, Kopitar, and Williams has been lethal, arguably the best line in the NHL. Like the Devils, depth has been key in the Kings offensive game. After their top line, they still have Richards, Carter, Penner, and a solid bottom 6 that have stepped up in the playoffs. With two teams very similar offensively, I don't think either has a significant advantage.
Defense: Even
The Devils and Kings are both defensively efficient teams, but much different. The Devils are comprised of 6 underrated and scrappy defensive players who have played well, but no real big names like a Drew Doughty of the Kings. Bryce Salvador, known for his shutdown and stay-at-home defenseman ways, has played the best balanced hockey of his career. Salvador has played an astounding 22:36 per night, +10 on the way. He also has 11 points throughout the post-season, which is more than he picked up throughout the regular season. Marek Zidlicky, who they acquired at the trade deadline, has proved to be a solid addition. Zidlicky has played well on the power play and his great puck handling skills have been noticeable. The bottom 4 of Andy Greene, Anton Volchenkov, Mark Fayne, and Anton Volchenkov offer the Devils a good mix of speed, size, and poise. For the Kings on the blue line, they are led by their star Drew Doughty. Doughty has played over 25 minutes per game in the playoffs, collecting 10 points on the way. He has been used in all situations, primarily on the power play, and his generated a lot of offense for the Kings. Rob Scuderi brings a lot of playoff experience, while rookie Slava Voynov has been spectacular in his first run to the cup. The Kings blueline also features Willie Mitchell (drafted by the Devils) and Matt Greene, who figure will get a lot of ice time to overcome the Devils forecheck. Once again, I don't think either team has an advantage in this category: the Kings may have the bigger names, but the game isn't played on paper. Both teams present defensively efficient units who can also chip in offensively.
Goaltending: Slight Advantage Kings
The matchup everyone has been so engaged by: the legend and first ballot Hall of Famer, who has name written next to almost every goaltending record ever: Martin Brodeur, vs on the rise and Vezina Trophy Nominee Jonathan Quick. Experience vs. youth, who will prevail? Even at 40, Marty is still a top goalie in this league. He has been here before, and a 4th Stanley Cup might convince him to retire on top, even though he has said he intends to play next year. Brodeur outplayed Lundqvist when it mattered most, and expect him to be at the top of his game against the Kings. Brodeur will look to become the ninth NHL player to win a cup in three different decades.The 26 year old Quick has performed exceptionally well all year, including his league leading 10 shutouts. He has continued that success in the playoffs, breezing through the West with a 12-2 record. For a team who barely made the playoffs, it is almost impossible to think the Kings would be in this position without Quick. Marty has been the man in New Jersey for 18 years, and has quieted his critics of late with his phenomenal play this post season, but Quick has been performed at this level all year, and he is the best goalie in the NHL right now. Both teams will only go as far as their goalie takes them.
Special Teams: PP: Devils, PK: Kings
The Devils had the best Penalty Kill since the lockout in the regular season converting at 89.6%. In the playoffs, that has been down to 74.2% after the Panthers power play got them out of their groove. However, they have made strides back to their regular season efforts, shutting down the Flyers previously dominant PP, and giving up only three goals on sixteen chances to the Rangers. Their power play has been inconsistent all year, but with Ilya Kovalchuk winding up for a shot at the point, it is always a threat. Their power play has executed only 12 out of 66 times throughout the post season. Although that sounds pretty bad, the Kings have gone 6 for 74 with three of those goals coming on 5 on 3 play. However, their penalty kill has been excellent in the post season, killing opponent's power plays at a 91.2% rate, while also picking up five shorthanded goals. They finished 4th on the PK during the regular season, making the penalty kill a strength of theirs throughout the whole year. Both teams are extremely disciplined, so taking advantage of rare power plays will be essential. The Devils hold a slight edge on the power play, and the Kings, who have proven to be a threat to score even on the Penalty Kill hold a slight edge in that department.
Conn Smythe Favorites
The art of the underdog is what makes sports, specifically hockey, a sport in which any team is capable to beat their opponents on any given night, so unique. The thrill of watching a team overcome multiple obstacles and prove all doubters wrong is always entertaining and providing of a "feel good" story in the end. Facing off at the Prudential Center for game 1 of the Stanley Cup will be the New Jersey Devils against the Los Angeles Kings. Face it, if you were to say you predicted this in September, or even before the start of the playoffs, you are probably lying. Plenty of analysts didn't even have either of these teams getting passed the first round. But don't feel bad for these teams: they have enjoyed every moment of quieting critics and defeating teams when everyone else counted them out. Whichever team is to hoist Lord's Stanley Cup will make history by becoming the lowest seed to ever be declared champions of the National Hockey League.
Current Status: New Jersey Devils
After a grueling 7 game series with the Florida Panthers, the Devils easily defeated their Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia Flyers in only 5 games. The next hurdle in their journey to the Cup was their archival Hudson River rival New York Rangers. Led by Martin Brodeur (who turned the clocks back at least ten years) the Devils were able to defeat the defensively sound Rangers. Although they were shutout in games 1 and 3, their resilient offense was a factor come late into the series. The fourth line consisting of Brian Gionta, Ryan Carter, and Steve Bernier continued their dominance and wearing down of opponents. Ilya Kovalchuk is living up to his mega million contract from two years ago, and leads all playoff skaters with his 18 points. Captain Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, and 13 other New Jersey Devils will be making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Current Status: Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have breezed through the Western Conference, needing only 14 games to defeat the #1,2, and 3 seeds. This is exactly the team that their fans had expected from the start of the season, and they are finally putting it together. After struggling throughout the season to score, they have found their scoring touch led their top performers such as Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Mike Richards. Jonathan Quick is playing at the top of his game, and paired with Martin Brodeur on the other side of the rink, this series will showcase two of the top goaltenders in the league. The Devils have home ice advantage, but the Kings are also undefeated on the road in the playoffs. Starting off in Newark should not be a problem for the Kings.
History
-
This
will be the 2nd time the Kings are in the Stanley Cup Finals. In 1993
they lose 4-1 to the Montreal Canadiens. For New Jersey, they are
searching for their 4th Stanley Cup in team history, their first since
2003. Martin Brodeur has been the goaltender for all four of their trips
to the Stanley Cup.
-
This series features two American born Captains, Zach Parise and Dustin Brown. It will be only the 2nd
time that an American born Captain will win the cup (Derian Hatcher is
the other).
-
New
Jersey and LA played two games in October during the regular season in
which the Devils won both: a 2-1 shootout victory on October 13 in New
Jersey, and a 3-0 victory on October 25 in Los Angeles. Martin Brodeur
played only one period in those two games due to injury.
-
Take
a trip down memory lane back to the 2003 NHL draft to find some of the
key players from this series. Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Steve Bernier,
Zach Parise, and Mike Richards all were highly ranked players in that
draft who have all made key contributions to get their respective teams
this far.
-
Alexei
Ponikarovsky and Peter Harrold of the Devils played for the Kings in
2010, looking for a chance to get revenge on their former team. Devils
coach Peter Deboer was the coach of Mike Richards with the Kitchener
Rangers (they won a Memorial Cup together).
- Larry Robinson has his name etched into both teams coaching history. Today he serves as the Assistant Coach of the Devils, but he was the head coach for their Stanley Cup win in 2000, and also served as a coach for the Kings for four seasons.
Offense: Even
Although a forward has not won the Conn Smythe Trophy since 1995 when Devil's forward Claude Lemieux won it, don't be surprised if that changes this year. Both teams present All Star forwards that have played well throughout the playoffs. For the Devils, it starts with Ilya Kovalchuk. His 7 goals and 11 assists make him the playoffs points leader with 18. Kovalchuk's presence on the power play is where he has done most of his damage in the postseason, with 5 of his 7 goals coming with the man advantage. The biggest strength of the Devils offense has been their aggressive three-man forecheck that has killed their opponents. Watching Zach Parise and Travis Zajac forecheck and battle to keep the puck in their opponent's zone truly is a thing of beauty. Outside of the forecheck, the Devil's depth has guided them through the playoffs, and they have gotten huge goals from some of the bottom 6 guys such as Gionta, Carter, and Ponikarovsky. Offensively, the Devils are the best team the Kings will have faced. Similarly to the Devils, the Kings also play an aggressive offensive game. Their top line of Brown, Kopitar, and Williams has been lethal, arguably the best line in the NHL. Like the Devils, depth has been key in the Kings offensive game. After their top line, they still have Richards, Carter, Penner, and a solid bottom 6 that have stepped up in the playoffs. With two teams very similar offensively, I don't think either has a significant advantage.
Defense: Even
The Devils and Kings are both defensively efficient teams, but much different. The Devils are comprised of 6 underrated and scrappy defensive players who have played well, but no real big names like a Drew Doughty of the Kings. Bryce Salvador, known for his shutdown and stay-at-home defenseman ways, has played the best balanced hockey of his career. Salvador has played an astounding 22:36 per night, +10 on the way. He also has 11 points throughout the post-season, which is more than he picked up throughout the regular season. Marek Zidlicky, who they acquired at the trade deadline, has proved to be a solid addition. Zidlicky has played well on the power play and his great puck handling skills have been noticeable. The bottom 4 of Andy Greene, Anton Volchenkov, Mark Fayne, and Anton Volchenkov offer the Devils a good mix of speed, size, and poise. For the Kings on the blue line, they are led by their star Drew Doughty. Doughty has played over 25 minutes per game in the playoffs, collecting 10 points on the way. He has been used in all situations, primarily on the power play, and his generated a lot of offense for the Kings. Rob Scuderi brings a lot of playoff experience, while rookie Slava Voynov has been spectacular in his first run to the cup. The Kings blueline also features Willie Mitchell (drafted by the Devils) and Matt Greene, who figure will get a lot of ice time to overcome the Devils forecheck. Once again, I don't think either team has an advantage in this category: the Kings may have the bigger names, but the game isn't played on paper. Both teams present defensively efficient units who can also chip in offensively.
Goaltending: Slight Advantage Kings
The matchup everyone has been so engaged by: the legend and first ballot Hall of Famer, who has name written next to almost every goaltending record ever: Martin Brodeur, vs on the rise and Vezina Trophy Nominee Jonathan Quick. Experience vs. youth, who will prevail? Even at 40, Marty is still a top goalie in this league. He has been here before, and a 4th Stanley Cup might convince him to retire on top, even though he has said he intends to play next year. Brodeur outplayed Lundqvist when it mattered most, and expect him to be at the top of his game against the Kings. Brodeur will look to become the ninth NHL player to win a cup in three different decades.The 26 year old Quick has performed exceptionally well all year, including his league leading 10 shutouts. He has continued that success in the playoffs, breezing through the West with a 12-2 record. For a team who barely made the playoffs, it is almost impossible to think the Kings would be in this position without Quick. Marty has been the man in New Jersey for 18 years, and has quieted his critics of late with his phenomenal play this post season, but Quick has been performed at this level all year, and he is the best goalie in the NHL right now. Both teams will only go as far as their goalie takes them.
Special Teams: PP: Devils, PK: Kings
The Devils had the best Penalty Kill since the lockout in the regular season converting at 89.6%. In the playoffs, that has been down to 74.2% after the Panthers power play got them out of their groove. However, they have made strides back to their regular season efforts, shutting down the Flyers previously dominant PP, and giving up only three goals on sixteen chances to the Rangers. Their power play has been inconsistent all year, but with Ilya Kovalchuk winding up for a shot at the point, it is always a threat. Their power play has executed only 12 out of 66 times throughout the post season. Although that sounds pretty bad, the Kings have gone 6 for 74 with three of those goals coming on 5 on 3 play. However, their penalty kill has been excellent in the post season, killing opponent's power plays at a 91.2% rate, while also picking up five shorthanded goals. They finished 4th on the PK during the regular season, making the penalty kill a strength of theirs throughout the whole year. Both teams are extremely disciplined, so taking advantage of rare power plays will be essential. The Devils hold a slight edge on the power play, and the Kings, who have proven to be a threat to score even on the Penalty Kill hold a slight edge in that department.
Conn Smythe Favorites
-
Martin Brodeur, Devils - After all, isn't the 40 going on 30 year old Martin Brodeur owed a Conn Smythe after it was stolen from him in 2003?
-
Ilya Kovalchuk, Devils
- He leads all playoff skaters with 18 points, all while doing it with
an injury. Kovalchuk has ended any speculation that he can't be
successful in the playoffs.
-
Jonathan Quick, Kings
- Quick has been the backbone of the Kings all year. His outstanding
12-2 playoff record makes him an easy favorite for the MVP trophy going
into this series.
-
Dustin Brown, Kings
- Brown has been the Kings most consistent forward throughout the
playoffs. He is close to Kovalchuk in the points race, and if the Kings
are to hoist the Cup in June, expect their captain Dustin Brown to be a
big reason why.
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