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| David Klutho/SI |
WHEN
the two basketball gems of Los Angeles (Lakers & Clippers) fell under the
abuse of rivals San Antonio and Oklahoma City, all hope in the city appeared to
be lost for any success in the 2012 playoffs. Kobe’s heroic age-defying plays
against the offensive powers of Durant and Westbrook plus the beard of Harden
weren’t enough for the Black Mamba to grab his 6th championship.
Even the hype, skill and vision of the newly formed Paul-Griffin combination
couldn’t stop the veteran team of Duncan, Parker, Ginobli whose three rings
seemed to have blinded the Clippers of their ultimate goal. Little did Los
Angeles fans know that their remaining hope for postseason triumph was on the
other local team playing their craft under the hard court of Staples Center.
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| Right state, right name, wrong city |
Victory
is expected for sports franchises in LA as seen with the Lakers (NBA), Dodgers
(MLB) & Raiders (NFL). Their hockey
team however appears to be the black sheep in the family of LA teams. For the
Kings, their performance is a shame considering the majesty attached to their
team’s name. The last 20 years of the franchise’s
story has been a mix of defeat and rebuilding season after season. Their finals
defeat back in ’93 must be the most traumatic defeat of the franchise as they
were outplayed in 5 games. Throw in a poisoning bankruptcy scare the following
year and it would seem that this team is really destined to fail no matter how
hard they try.
Captain
Brown and goaltender Jonathan Quick were two among the many cornerstones of the
team who kept losing in the recent past. But each knew that they had what it
took to become winners. Brown was selected by the Kings in the first
round of the 2003 draft and through the years proved himself worthy of his
playing minutes. He was even a member of
the 2009 All-Star Game which is a testament to his playing ability as an
all-star. Quick had a breakout season in
2008 which also contributed to the Kings’ playoff qualification by providing
quality goaltending to prevent the puck from passing his body as much as he could. They are both members of the United States Olympic team -- their talents were unquestionable and world-class.Their team also has a number of solid draft
picks by the Kings who played crucial roles for their runs in the playoffs.
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Kings suffer defeat against San Jose in 2011 -
Harry How/Getty Images
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Despite
the play of these two men and their teammates, the closest thing they can
consider a victory in those years was qualifying for the playoffs, and even
that happened just three times in the last 10 years. In those times, odds were stacked
against them. The team had to undergo tough disappointments of failing
expectations. In 2009 and 2010, they were eliminated in the first round of
the playoffs in front of their home crowd. The rink at Staples Center has been
conditioned to accept defeat and watch their rivals go on to the next round. Playoff
success has always been teased on their faces only to be pulled away from them. No
matter how painful each defeat has been, and also because of the tradition, the
defeated Kings kept their head high as they lined up year after year to shake the hands of their
opponents and wish them luck as they move on. It was difficult for the fans and
even more difficult for the players. Somehow, amidst the dejection on their faces, in those years that they line up,
the handshakes were like a warning to them as if to say, “we’re coming for you
next time.”
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Coach Sutter (Center) with stars
Carter (Left) & Brown (Right) -
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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Come
the 2011-2012 season, there’s a clean slate and a new start. Led by their
captain Dustin Brown, the Kings tackled this season with the goal of winning
the championship. Still, their road to the playoffs was going to be as tumultuous
as their franchise history has been. After a hot start in the season with a
record of 5 wins in 6 games, they suddenly went on a slump for a 50% win
percentage record. Enough was enough and things had to change. In the middle of
what looked like another disappointing season, crucial changes had to be made.
First, there was the introduction of a new coach in Darryl Sutter who was responsible for changing the team’s defensive philosophy to an offensive
one. More importantly, Sutter also
believed in the ability and natural talent of the players on his team as a
winning hockey team. Next was a blockbuster trade that led to their acquisition
of all-star Jeff Carter for that extra fire-power the team needed to be a scary
playoff contender. These were considered by many as the crucial missing pieces
necessary for playoff success they believe they deserved.
The
playoffs had plenty of interesting stories to offer, but the Kings’ were not at
the top of that list. Other than a dramatic end to their season, nobody felt
the Kings had anything juicy to contribute this post season. Being in the 8th
seed also meant facing more games on the road away from their home fans. There
is no place like home, and the Kings surely missed it this playoffs. This
was another difficulty in an already difficult season in an already difficult
history. Still, the Kings played on.
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| Brown (White Right) leads the Kings victory against the Canucks - Kathleen Hinkel/Icon SMI |
With
the Vancouver Canucks as the first round opponents, LA was up against not only
the 1st seeded team in the west and last year’s runner up for the
Stanley Cup, they were facing the team with the best regular season record.
Odds were again placed against them as another first round exit was just
around the corner. For Dustin Brown, Jonathan Quick, and the rest of the Kings, with the memory of being eliminated by the Canucks in the first round of 2009 fresh
in their minds, they made sure this year was going to be different. To say LA had
a good start would be an understatement. LA was scorching hot. The series started with a 3-0 destruction care
of the Kings, two of those won in Vancouver. The 1st seed were
questioning their capabilities; the 8th seed were as confident as
ever. After a defeat at home in game four, they finished the first round 4-1 and
moved on to the 2nd round for the first time in three attempts. This was
only the first act of how good this team really is.
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| Quick (Left) denies the Blues - Sarah Conard/Reuters |
Next
was the 2nd seeded team in the west: the St. Louis Blues. This
series was another display of a team peaking at the perfect time and playing
the best hockey they have played for as long as they can remember. Not only did
the Kings sweep the Blues 4-0 to advance to the conference final, they did it
by really overpowering the opposition. Each game was won by at least a 2-goal
deficit. Goaltender Jonathan Quick was already making a buzz for only allowing
under two goals a game in nine games. Quick was actually quick in stopping the puck.
For the first time, after two games won on the road, they wrapped this series at home
ice in game four. Their skill was too much
to handle for the overpowered Blues. For
everyone in attendance, it was nice to see their team line up and shake the
hands of their swept opponents as the Kings moved to the next round. It was all
in the days work for the Kings.
People were thinking that all good things must come to an end. A story and performance as hot as this were simply too good to be true. However in the conference finals, things remained the same. The Kings faced division rivals and 3rd seed Phoenix Coyotes. Their first two games was an early imposition of their will on Phoenix as they won their games by scoring four goals. With that momentum carrying over at home, LA defended well albeit dropping one game. There was still little worry with the team as they clinched the series again scoring four goals at Coyotes’ ice. Again, a hot LA team dictated the flow of this series as they eliminated their rivals in five games. Finally, the Kings have another shot at the championship since their last failed attempt in ’93.
People were thinking that all good things must come to an end. A story and performance as hot as this were simply too good to be true. However in the conference finals, things remained the same. The Kings faced division rivals and 3rd seed Phoenix Coyotes. Their first two games was an early imposition of their will on Phoenix as they won their games by scoring four goals. With that momentum carrying over at home, LA defended well albeit dropping one game. There was still little worry with the team as they clinched the series again scoring four goals at Coyotes’ ice. Again, a hot LA team dictated the flow of this series as they eliminated their rivals in five games. Finally, the Kings have another shot at the championship since their last failed attempt in ’93.
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| Dustin Brown (White) shoots against Phoenix - AP |
The Los Angeles Kings: a disciplined team who knew and believed they had the capacity to fight through any adversity they face. Their play
silenced their critics and finally showed everyone the true potential these men
had: something which was not seen in their pas disappointing playoff attempts. Goals were being scored all over with their
forwards moving the puck effectively and efficiently past defenders. Their defense played intensely by blanketing
and suffocating their opponents, denying them chances and stealing the puck for
crucial turnovers. Most of all, being
men down due to penalties given to them were not an issue with the Kings.
Rather than be at a disadvantage with penalized players, they shut out
opponents, rarely letting opponents score against them. Even when being shorthanded, they would play effectively enough to
score goals themselves. So much for
getting a penalty, they said.
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| Bruce Bennet/Getty Images |
On
a larger perspective, the NHL was also buzzing with the stories the Kings have
given them in the playoffs. Among them, if you haven't noticed, was that these Kings
were road warriors with a seven game winning streak away from home. With a 12-2
playoff record (both defeats at home), it was believed that they were made to
play dominating hockey outside LA. Nobody would defeat them as visitors.
The Kings didn’t mind getting the 8thseed that denied them home ice
advantage throughout the playoffs. Not only did they win on the road
astonishingly, they also defeated the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
seeded teams in the west to march their way into the finals. The road to the
cup for them was as easy as 1-2-3 and 4. Four would be the four wins they needed to get the
ultimate prize in the NHL: the Stanley Cup.
For
the past 14 games, it was fairly easy for LA to
execute their game plan to perfection. Their resolve had
to be tested in the finals however with what was their toughest challenge yet. The east’s 6th
seed New Jersey Devils were the only ones standing in their way. In the years
that LA has faced problems and defeat, New Jersey was busy winning 3 Stanley
Cups. This year, the Devils survived early playoff adversity and did their own
share of brushing favorite teams in the east off on their way to the cup final.
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| Goaltenders Quick (Left) &. Brodeur (Right) in the final - Bruce Bennet/Getty Images |
This
was not only a series for the cup, but also a series for the two
goaltenders. Vital to the New Jersey
titles were the performances of long-time goaltender Martin Brodeur. Brodeur,
still playing at the age of 40, has been haunting goal scorers for years due to
his intimidating play, denying them chance after chance of making the buzzer
sound after goals. A 4th
finals victory would certainly be a nice touch to an already stellar
career. For Jonathan Quick, this was a
legendary matchup against a future hall of famer on the opposite end of the
ice. At 26 years old, Quick had an
opportunity to measure his skills against a tried and tested veteran on a very
big stage. Quick was a baby beside
Brodeur, but Quick also knew his skills were not as distant to Brodeur’s as their
difference in age might suggest.
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| Kings set the tone early - Lucy Nicholson/Reuters |
The
Kings really felt that this year was going to be the year that they finally win
it all the way. Not much difference to the other series they have had, LA played New Jersey to earn an unbelievable 3-0 series score. The first two games were tight ones
showcasing two close teams deserving to battle for the cup, and two goaltenders
defending their goal with their lives. Overtime was needed for a winner to be
decided in both games which resulted to a 2-1 Kings victory. Again, the Kings
won those 2 games on the road making them undefeated in 10 straight road games.
The
3rd game was an exhibition of LA’s talent for their home crowd. This
was the best hockey they might have played all post season as they demolished
the Devils with a score of 4-0, Quick stopping 22 shots. With a sweep waiting
around the corner, everyone was jacked up for the occasion.
In
game 4, even before the puck was dropped for the opening face-off, there was already a party brewing in the streets of LA. The people were excited to
witness what may be their Kings’ first championship. The crowd was electric
inside Staples Center with the anticipation of seeing the Stanley Cup raised in
LA. Everyone knew this could be the night they finally do it. Sadly, the players have gotten ahead of
themselves and were carried away by the emotion and excitement in the
arena. The Kings played as if the cup was already in their hands (although it
was already waiting in the tunnel of Staples Center); The Devils played
literally as if there was no tomorrow for them.
The Devils denied them of a sweep as they won the game 3-1 forcing a 5th
game back in New Jersey.
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| Devil's goalie Brodeur (Left) puts his body on the line - John Angelillo/UPI |
Game five still had
the same excitement of game four. Being the road warriors that they are, the
Kings faithful believed that they could wrap this up on the road, keep their
undefeated road record and finally win the Stanley Cup. The Devils however
denied them such a sweet victory for their first title. For the first time,
they lost on the road after 10-game road win streak. A rare mistake by Jonathan
Quick while at a man disadvantage resulted to a momentum-shifting goal for the
Devils and some doubt in the Kings fortitude.
Questions were raised on whether the Kings were actually good or just
lucky to be there. For the first time,
LA was falling apart on moments where everyone else was expected to fall
apart.
Game 6 was a do-or-die moment for the Kings in Staples. Home win
would mean a Stanley Cup trophy for their collection; a defeat would mean
momentum to the Devils who will play a deciding game seven back in the east, and
possibly another heartbreaking cup defeat for LA.
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| Devil's Bernier (Right) with a bad hit on King's Scuderi (Left) - Jayne Oncea/US PRESSWIRE |
10 minutes in
the first period, the Devils were given a 5-minute major penalty for a
dangerous hit on one of the Kings’ players.
Being a man-up, LA felt they could finish things oof early on. With this, the Kings grabbed their chance to
dictate the flow of the rest of the game scoring three goals inside those 5-minutes
of advantage. Staples Center were on the verge of experiencing something they
have never experienced before: winning the Stanley Cup. Yet it was only the 1st
period, two more to go before the celebration can officially start.
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| The winning moment - Lori Shepler/UPI |
Those
5-minutes were already too much for the Devils.
Just like their early series leads, just like their domination on the
wills of their opponents, the Kings have played brilliantly early on to deny
the enemy a chance for a comeback. After three more LA goals and a consolation goal for New Jersey, the final score was an
astonishing 6-1 blowout for the Kings.
Dustin Brown helped his team in game six by scoring a goal and assisting
on two while Quick had the game of his life by making 17 saves for the night. The
8th seeded team in the west, with the stigma of being the weakest
among playoff teams, showed that the seeding was simply just a seeding. Jonathan Quick bested rival Martin Brodeur to
capture the playoff MVP award. Captain
Dustin Brown was first to lift the Stanley Cup in his team, and the first ever
captain to do so in their history. Let
the party begin!
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Quick (Left) & Brodeur (Right) share their respects -
Mike Blake/Reuters
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It would be an
insult to label the LA Kings lucky.
Maybe for a small part, they really were lucky to still be in existence
and in contention through the years. Maybe they were lucky for acquiring
through the rebuild of the team the players they needed to win the cup. Maybe they were lucky in hiring the right
coach to lead them where they are now.
But watching how they played and the fashion they completely dictated
the momentum of the games they played, it was a performance even lady luck wouldn't give . The LA Kings were not the favorites, nor were
favors handed to them to make things easier.
A low seed, a ton of road games and penalties weren’t enough to stop the
quality of the LA Kings. The predicament
they have been placed at would even seem to be an unlucky situation.
There was no
point in complaining on how things turned out for them. Those disappointing
seasons and humiliating early playoff exits at home would only reinforce them
in facing later challenges. Simply put, the Kings believed in themselves, from
the general managers, to the coaching staff, to the players, and most especially the fans, to play the kind
of hockey the team was really capable of.
No matter the adversity placed on their plates, the LA Kings were sure
of their capabilities to overcome them. Despite
being road warriors, it was fitting for the team and for their fans to experience
this long awaited victory in their own town. The Kings have made their mark in LA.
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| Captain Dustin Brown lifting the Stanley Cup - Christian Petersen/Getty Images |
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