The Return of the Kings: Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Wayne Gretzky. Luc Robitaille. Marty McSorely. Jari Kurri. Kelly Hrudey. These are the names that headlined the last time the Los Angeles Kings played for a Stanley Cup Trophy.

The year was 1993. I can still remember watching the series over at Tear-Dog’s house at the age of 13. Incessant rubbing together and clapping of hands echoed through the living room as Terry (my friend’s hockey-crazed father) headed the backwards hat-and-mustache-charge. My appreciation for playoff hockey was officially born.

The game seemed to be different back then. Maybe because I was younger and didn’t quite understand it as well as I do now. Only a few rules have changed, but the speed of the game has significantly increased. The “then and now” comparison between eras is applicable to any sport, but hockey is like football in this way – high-speed decisions and collisions are amplified. Playoff hockey has always been a must-watch, and 19-years later, the Kings are back to the penultimate.

As a Stanley Cup Playoffs underdog, Los Angeles has accomplished what has never been accomplished before. An eye-popping 12-2 playoff on their way to winning their first 3 playoff series has turned the heads of hockey fans in Los Angeles and across the country. The Kings exacted revenge from last season’s playoff loss by beating the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks 4 games to 1 in the first round. In round two, they swept the second-seeded St. Louis Blues. And in the Western Conference Finals, they ousted the third-seeded Phoenix Coyotes 4 games to 1. The Kings have also achieved an unreal 8-0 record on the road during this span. They are the only 8-seed in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to beat a top-seed, second-seed and third-seed respectively en route to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

The big names of 1993 that will live in the lore of Kings fandom for eternity now have a new class of stars to add to the Kingdom’s hall of royalty.

Captain Dustin Brown, assistant captain  Anze Kopitar and veteran center Mike Richards have lead the offensive charge, by combining for a stellar 17 goals and 44 points (goals and assists combined) throughout this unprecedented playoff run.

Drew Doughty has lead a group of defensemen that has not only been the best penalty-killing unit in the playoffs (by a long-shot), but also was the second best penalty-killing unit in the league during the regular season. Assistant Captain Matt Greene, Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi have contributed defending their own zone around the net. The Kings’ penalty-kill in the playoffs has been a staggering 91.2% To prevent a goal at that rate while being down a skater rivals a level that has never been seen before when it matters most.

The biggest factor in the penalty-kill, and the run the Kings are currently on overall has undoubtedly been goalie Jonathon Quick. “Quick-crete” has tended goal from start to finish in every game of the playoffs, while going 12-2, and sporting a stone-tough save percentage of .946%. This has been, without a doubt, the number one reason why the Kings may have the chance to drink Pacific Ocean saltwater out of Lord Stanley’s Cup.

While it has been a long 19 years for the Kings to return to this point, their opponents in these Stanley Cup Finals are no stranger to this stage as a franchise. The Devils have won the cup three times in the past 17 years, reaching the top of the mountain in 1995, 2000 and 2003.

New Jersey is lead by wingers Ilya Kovlachuk and Zach Parise, who have combined for 14 goals and 32 points this postseason. They have also leaned on 20-year veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur, who has gone 12-5 in these playoffs with a save percentage of .923%. Game one will be Brodeur’s 200th Stanley Cup Playoff game.

The sixth-seeded Devils facing off against the eigth-seeded Kings is the first time two teams with seeds this low have reached the Stanley Cup Finals in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The lowest seed to ever win the Stanley Cup was in 1995 when the fifth-seeded Devils hoisted the cup. Obviously, that record is about to be broken. But what coast will have the pride of hoisting Lord Stanley’s hardware, left or right?

Most talking-heads are picking Los Angeles, due to them being the hotter team coming into the series, which is the new trend in today’s realm of championship matchups in any sport. New Jersey is the experienced franchise that has successfully navigated the gauntlet of the higher-scoring East. They also hold home-ice advantage. The Kings are the younger up-and-comers that have ground-out the lower-scoring, defensive game of the West. Something has to give.

The puck drops for game 1 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey at 5 pm pacific tonight on NBC. Hop on the wagon and be a part of the final push! We need YOU, yes YOU, casual fan, to get behind the Kingdom! 19-years in the making – long time Kings fans will earn their redemption!