The game arrived exactly as expected. No false advertising. The Kings brought their forecheck game, rolled four lines and got strong goaltending. So did the Devils. With all the bodies flying around, and all the sticks outstretched to deflect pucks, there wasn’t any room on the ice to make plays for most of the game. Part of that had to do with the ice itself. The Titanic would have crashed on the Prudential Center surface last night. The Devils put things together in the latter part of the second period, and into the third period, and had a number of just-miss scoring chances in a 1-1 game, but the Kings stayed poised and kept fighting.
In fact, the way the Kings handled the final five minutes of the third period might have set the tone for overtime. The Kings didn’t score, but they generated some quality chances and got the game back under control. That, if nothing else, allowed them to go into the break with some confidence. Overtime hockey in the playoffs is fantastic. The players push themselves to the brink for almost three hours (sometimes more), and the game comes down to who can muster enough energy, poise and skill to make one memorable play. Last night, the Kings did it, and won an ultra-tight game. What was the key aspect of the Kings’ 2-1 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 1? I present three options at the link below, and you can vote for your choice…
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For those who enjoy the traditional game recap, it can be found by clicking here.
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