2012 Stanley Cup Finals

NHL Playoffs: New Jersey’s Defense Keys Game 4 Breakthrough

Dan Flaherty Uncategorized 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, Ilya Kovalchuk Devils, Kings-Devils Game 5, Kings-Devils series, Los Angeles-New Jersey series, Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup Finals schedule

The New Jersey Devils kept their focus and kept playing the solid team defense that’s characterized their work in these Stanley Cup Finals and it finally paid off with a victory as the pulled away from the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-1 win at the Staples Center Wednesday night. With the Kings still needing just one more win in the next three games it’s almost certainly just a stay of execution, but it was something Jersey could feel could about and it’s pointed to areas Los Angeles needs to improve if they’re close out this championship without giving their fans a heart attack.

NHL Playoffs: Brodeur’s Collapse Puts New Jersey On The Brink

Dan Flaherty Uncategorized 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, Jonathan Quick Los Angeles Kings, Kings-Devils series, Los Angeles-New Jersey series, Martin Brodeur New Jersey Devils, NHL Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals

You can praise the Los Angeles Kings’ goalie Jonathan Quick for his role in the team’s 4-0 shutout win over New Jersey in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, putting the Kings up 3-0 in games and one win from their first Cup ever. You’d be right to do so. You can praise the Los Angeles team defense and you’d be right to do so. But as much as New Jersey Devil goaltender Martin Brodeur is an icon, and as much as TheSportsNotebook in particular respects him, last night was about the Devil goalie.

NHL Playoffs: Los Angeles Takes Game 1 On OT Breakaway

Dan Flaherty Uncategorized 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, Kings-Devils series, Kopitar breakaway goal, Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup, Los Angeles-New Jersey series, Stanley Cup Finals

The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils went to overtime in a clean, relatively penalty-free Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals and a breakaway goal from Kings center Anze Kopitar handed Los Angeles a 2-1 win to get the series underway.

Stanley Cup Finals Preview: New Jersey-Los Angeles

Dan Flaherty Uncategorized 2012 NHL Playoffs, 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, Kings-Devils Stanley Cup, Los Angeles-New Jersey Stanley Cup, NHL Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals

The Stanley Cup Finals begin tonight when the New Jersey Devils host the Los Angeles Kings. It’s not the matchup anyone would have predicted when this postseason began in mid-April, but it rarely is in the NHL. The Devils were seeded #6 in the East, while Los Angeles was #8 in the West, only the second eight-seed to make the Finals since the league went to the current playoff format back in 1994. TheSportsNotebook previews the series…