The Rock in June

Vol. III, No. 13

It's the 2nd day in June and ice hockey is being played in Newark NJ.

One day after a Radiohead concert gig, the ice is getting a workout as the Kings and Devils duke it out in the Stanley Cup finals. 

When the Pru Center booked Radiohead, could anyone have predicted that the ice would still be in? But the hockey gods and a surprising Devils team confounded Prudential planners.

The Devs refused to take out the golf clubs. They refused to take off the sweaty pads. They insisted in trashing their eastern conference opponents and wound up in the Stanley Cup finals for the fifth time on team history (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012). What a run. 

And now they are confronting the LA Kings buzz saw, the same machine which has taken apart the best of the west, with a 9-0 road record including their SC final win in Newark two nights ago.

At the moment LA has the lead in game 2, a precious 1-0 score. Jonathan Quick has faced 12 shots and is a stone wall. The Kings are looking tough. It's no surprise. LA, the lowest seed in the Western Conference, has won the first two road games in every playoff round leading up to the final.

Two hours later, the results are in. For a second time in a row, the game went into overtime. For a second time in a row, the Kings found a way to end the contest with a sudden-death goal.

At 13:42 of OT, Jeff Carter found the back of the net. LA's acquisition of Carter in February is looking like a great trade. And, it was the second goal of the night scored by a player named Carter. The Devils tied the game in the third period on a goal by Ryan Carter, no relation.

The Devils are trailing the Kings by a deficit of 0-2. The odds are against them. Only two teams in history have come back from 0-2 home game losses against a visiting opponent. 

If the Devils can figure out a way to solve Quick and to deal with the Kings forecheck, they can put more shots on goal. Two OT losses reflect an even matchup. New Jersey can make this a series.  

But if LA continues to dominate in goaltending and on the forecheck, it looks like the Kings juggernaut will roll its way right to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. I can't remember the last time a team had a 14 - 2 record in the playoffs.  It might be a record in the making.

Hockey Rules!