The View from New York

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Jeff Z. Klein: Kings Again Take the Lead Only When Necessary: At the End

It was the third straight year that the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals had gone to overtime. Before that, it had not happened for 61 years.

Andrew Knoll: Kings’ Resilience Rests, Quietly, With Jonathan Quick

If Quick has been scrutinized at times during the Kings’ latest run to the finals, that has largely been because of his preternatural performance in their last one, when the Kings won the Stanley Cup as the bottom-seeded team in the Western Conference.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Peter Botte: Stanley Cup Final: NY Rangers drop second straight to Kings on Dustin Brown deflection in 2OT loss

Former Ranger Marian Gaborik then tied it at 7:36 from the slot following another costly turnover by the Rangers. McDonagh, who scored and assisted on the Rangers’ first two goals, coughed up the puck following a collision with teammate Derek Stepan.

Pat Leonard: Stanley Cup Final: NY Rangers series deficit dampens Game 3 Garden homecoming

If there’s a worse feeling, it’s the realization that the Blueshirts now need four wins in five games to topple the mighty Kings. It’s tough not to see this as insurmountable, even if Alain Vigneault unfortunately has experience with losing a two-game lead in a Final, when his Vancouver Canucks coughed up a 2-0 advantage to the Boston Bruins in 2011.

NEWSDAY

Steve Zipay: Lead squandered, Rangers just can’t cash in on big chances in 2-OT loss to Kings

Teams that win the first two games of the Final at home are 33-3 to win the series. But they are 16-20 in Game 3.

Arthur Staple: For Rangers, this was tough to take

The Kings have led on only the final scoresheets of both games, just to rub more salt in the wounds of a spent group of Rangers. In 64:36 in Game 1 and 90:26 in Game 2 — just over 21/2 hours — the Rangers led by two goals on four different occasions and have nothing to show for it.

NEW YORK POST

Brett Cyrgalis: Rangers lose heartbreaker in double OT, now in 2-0 hole

But if something has been made clear through the first two games of this series, it’s that the Rangers have not faced any team even remotely close to the caliber and resiliency of the Kings.

Zach Braziller: Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist fumes at no-call on late goal

Lundqvist said he was told by officials the shot was by him by the time contact with King was made, which he questioned, saying, “I don’t buy that.”

Larry Brooks: Three two-goal leads and many mistakes later, Rangers in hole

It’s difficult to believe Lundqvist could play so well and still yield five goals, yet that was his fate on a night when the Rangers could not clear the front of the crease and could not tie up men or sticks in front.

BLUESHIRTSUNITED.com

Jim Cerny: Rangers Drop Game Two of Stanley Cup Final 5-4 in Double Overtime

The Rangers had the better of the play during the first overtime, outshooting Los Angeles 8-6, and more importantly possessing the puck much more and generating the better scoring chances.

ESPN.com

Pierre LeBrun: Hard to kill cockroach Kings

The Kings have been shaky in their own zone, given up the kind of chances they’re just not used to giving up. They’ve shown great character once again early in this Cup finals, but it’s not typical Kings hockey.

Scott Burnside: Rangers watch another win slip away

Here was a game that needed to be won — appeared to be won — and then, somehow, excruciatingly, was lost.

Craig Custance: Lundqvist ticked at goal interference

Making it worse for Lundqvist, Rangers forward Benoit Pouliot got a two-minute penalty in the second period for interfering with Jonathan Quick, a call Lundqvist didn’t like.

Katie Strang: Kreider looks refocus after OT misses

Kreider, whose speed, size and strength has added a dangerous dynamic to the Rangers’ offense this entire spring, had arguably the best of the first overtime period, when he faced Quick on a breakaway at 16:22 of the frame.

NHL.com

Dan Rosen: Kings complete Game 2 rally with 2OT goal by Brown

Although the Rangers felt they played better than they did in Game 1, when they blew a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 on Williams’ OT winner, there was a sense of frustration in their dressing room.

Dan Rosen: For Rangers, frustration must give way to focus

They have a six-hour flight home Sunday and can spend it staring in the mirror, because no matter what they thought of King’s goal, that wasn’t the difference Saturday and it’s not the reason they now face the gargantuan task of having to beat the Kings four times in five games.

Shawn Roarke: Quick’s save gave Kings chance to win Game 2

The save on Richards was also a personal turning point for Quick, who stopped all 10 shots he faced after allowing Derick Brassard to score the Rangers’ fourth goal.

SB Nation – BLUESHIRT BANTER

Evan Sporer: Rangers vs. Kings Game 2 recap: Dustin Brown wins it in double overtime as Kings go up 2-0

For the second time that game—and for the second time in as many games—the Rangers had a two goal lead. But as has been the case for the Rangers, and Los Angeles, the Kings erased the multi-goal deficit.