2012 Stanley Cup Final: Los Angeles Kings Need To Settle Down, Play Their Game

June 9, 2012 by 1 Comment

Logo courtesy National Hockey League

LOS ANGELES — After missing out on a chance to close out the New Jersey Devils in Game 4 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final on June 6 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Kings are back in Newark, New Jersey, preparing for Game 5 tonight (5:00 PM PDT, NBC), in front of a hostile crowd at the Prudential Center.

The Kings lead the series, 3-1, and would win the first Stanley Cup Championship in the 45-year history of the franchise with a victory.

The Devils played their best game of the series in Game 4, while the Kings were a bit too relaxed.

“We didn’t have our best game tonight, and they did,” defenseman Matt Greene said after Game 4. “They played well. We knew they were going to come out hard, and they did. We have to be tighter in the defensive zone, and tighter in our game if we want to win.” Read more of this post

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Frozen Royalty’s Gann Matsuda Breaks Down 2012 Stanley Cup Final on STN Sports Report

June 8, 2012 by Leave a comment

Logo courtesy: SportsTalkNetwork.com

The morning after the Los Angeles Kings missed their chance to complete a four-game sweep of the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, I broke down the series to date on The STN Sports Report with Brad Kurtzberg.

Kurtzberg, who covers the New York Islanders, and has written a book, Shorthanded: The Untold Story of the California Golden Seals, can be heard, Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET).

You can listen to the portion of the show I was on by clicking on the arrow below (18:30). Read more of this post

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2012 Stanley Cup Final: New Jersey Devils Are Better Late In A Playoff Series

June 8, 2012 by Leave a comment

Logo courtesy National Hockey League

The New Jersey Devils are back in the friendly confines of the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, after finally getting a win in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series on June 6, avoiding a four-game sweep.

To their credit, the Devils could have easily gotten frustrated and down on themselves heading into Game 4. Instead, they came out with their best performance of the series, following a similar pattern of playing their best in Games 4-7 of a playoff series this season.

“I don’t have an explanation for that, said Devils head coach Peter DeBoer after Game 4. “I haven’t found a significant jump in our play in the second half of a series. I just think we find a way to get everything clicking, where early in the series some things haven’t worked.” Read more of this post

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2012 Stanley Cup Final: New Jersey Devils Looking For Silver Lining After Game 1 Loss To Los Angeles Kings

June 1, 2012 by Leave a comment

New Jersey Devils defenseman Mark Fayne missed a gaping net during his team’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings, during Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on May 29, 2012.
Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images via the Los Angeles Kings

Less than 24 hours after they faced-off in Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, two similar teams were also very similar in their analysis of their performances the night before.

The New Jersey Devils pointed to a tentative start, and needing to raise their overall level of play.

“I think we’re going to have to find another level,” said Devils head coach Peter DeBoer. “I feel we have another level. I thought we came out a little tentative, as was expected for a Stanley Cup Final game. I thought we got better as the game went on. That’s a team you’ve got to play sixty minutes against.”

“[The Los Angeles Kings] were good,” added DeBoer. “They were off for a while. We knew they’d be good. I thought we were a little tentative early. Once we got comfortable, I thought we started to play better. We pushed in some spurts tonight, but not enough to have success against that team.” Read more of this post

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