Don’t be fooled by the LA Kings. They may have been the lowest-seeded team in the Western Conference, but once the playoffs started they turned into a powerhouse. They vanquished Vancouver, the winners of the Presidents Trophy, in five games. They buzzed through the Blues, the second seed in the Western Conference, in a clean sweep. They conquered the Coyotes, the third seed in the west, in five games.
How did they accomplish all of this? With outstanding goaltending and plenty of offense. Goaltender Jonathan Quick had a great regular season and has gotten even better in the playoffs. Through the first three rounds he has the best save percentage of any goaltender (94.6%) and lowest goals against average (1.54). While Quick has been dominant in net, Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar have been dominant in the offensive zone. Both have averaged over a point per game and they both are an incredible plus-13 in the playoffs.
The Devils have plenty of firepower of their own. Kovalchuk, Parise and Zajac each have scored 7 goals in the playoffs and Adam Henrique is a plus-9. Martin Brodeur has raised his game in the playoffs, increasing his save percentage and lowering his goals against average. They dominated the Rangers, with a relentless forecheck that kept the puck in the offensive zone for long stretches.
But, the feeling here is that the Kings are just playing on a different level. They have the hot goalie, the hot offense and it will carry them to their first Stanley Cup in six games.
The Stanley Cup Finals begin tonight at 8pm, with the Devils hosting Games 1 and 2 at the Prudential Center.
