Kings are a win away from the Stanley Cup
Jonathan Quick shuts out the Rangers
Game 4 Wednesday in New York
10.51pm ET
The air went out of the building when Jeff Carter beat Henrik Lundqvist at 19:59:07 of the first period, and the slope got a whole lot steeper there for New York. There was no Garden Party, no fun filing out onto 7th Avenue. Just silence, and that's just how the LA Kings and their fans like it. Dem guys is good, there's no denying it - in fact, the Kings are even better than that.
So now the Cup comes to the house for Game 4, as Rangers fans wrestle with the idea of LA hoisting it in Midtown Manhattan. We'll be back for that potential Stanley Cup clinching contest on Wednesday, but for now, good night.
10.46pm ET
This reminder to the #NYR as they stagger into the dressing room: #ShootThePuck #ShootThePuck #ShootThePuck #ShootThePuck #ShootThePuck
We've seen this before, hockey fans blaming a lack of shooting the puck on losses. There may be something to that...
10.44pm ET
The Los Angeles Kings are just one win away from their second Stanley Cup title in three seasons after beating the Rangers on their home ice!
Quick is surrounded after pitching a shutout, his second in the Stanley Cup Finals!
10.42pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 1:30, third period
Nothing doing, LA continue to thwart any NY offensive. It's desperate times at the Garden.
10.40pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 3:17, third period
Quick clears the zone but it's wide of the net and that's icing. No real chances yet for New York.
10.39pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 4:21, third period
The net is empty - six Rangers are on the ice for New York. They need another two at least to beat Quick tonight.
10.38pm ET
10.37pm ET
If you closed your eyes and opened your ears at Madison Square Garden and had to guess whether it was a Stanley Cup Game 3 or a September exhibition game vs the Minnesota Wild, you'd pick the latter.
It's like that, really.
10.35pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 6:19, third period
It's kitchen sink time for New York, they need to make something happen yesterday.
10.34pm ET
@LengelDavid Dan Girardi proving he's adroit at using his skate... If only he could control the puck with his stick #buckner!
Joe is seemingly still reeling from Girardi's hiccup with the puck in Game 1, one which led to the game-winning goal by Justin Williams, which is understandable.
10.32pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 7:45, third period
The Rangers are on the power play as Dustin brown slashes Marc Staal - but New York are once again unable to do anything with it. New York have now outshot their opponents 24-12 and have a bagel to show for it. That is no easy feat.
10.29pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 10:07, third period
The Rangers kill the penalty but we are close to halfway through the third period and LA maintain their stranglehold on the game. Now we see the replays of the Kings power play near goal - the puck came just centimeters (inches) away from crossing the goal line with Lundqvist helpless and away from the play!
10.26pm ET
Tri-state hockey
At a family event this weekend some Long Island based cousins were busy drawing anti-Rangers pictures at the table - with all the Rangers talk around town it's been easy to forget that Islanders and Devils fans are rooting hard against New York and are delighted with the Kings assault.
10.20pm ET
@LengelDavid hope you're doing a better job of finishing your posts than the Rangers are doing finishing scoring opportunities!! #bageled
Gulp.
10.19pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 16:09, third period
Pouliot shoots with no real angle from the goal line, it's off the mask of Quick and into the stands.
10.17pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 16:57, third period
The Kings carry the puck for a decent chunk of the advantage, mostly thanks to Anze Kopitar. Now New York gather themselves with under 30 seconds left in the power play but really, there's nothing doing. Uneventful for NY, something the Rangers could just not afford and the Garden is extremely quiet.
10.15pm ET
We are back and Kreider drives the net off the face-off drives and nearly beats Quick! Whoa! Now a penalty on Muzzin and the Rangers are on the power play! Really, they have to score here - they are 0-4 tonight.
10.14pm ET
NBC TV here in the US tell us that the Rangers haven't beaten Quick for over 95 minutes. They also tell us that no team has overcome a 3-0 Stanley Cup series deficit since the Toronto Maple Leafs did it during the FDR administration, which is a bit unfair considering T-Dot's location. For the record, the Leafs comeback came in 1942, when William Lyon Mackenzie King was Canadian PM.
9.59pm ET
Consider this part of the giving Jonathan Quick credit section.
9.56pm ET
If you are at home keeping score with us thats 6 unanswered goals for @LAKings vs Lundqvist since they trailed 4-2 in game 2 @KNX1070
Yeah, and Quick is not getting enough credit. Consider this official credit for the job the Kings netminder is doing.
9.54pm ET
New York outshot the Kings 17-8 but two of LA's shots went into the net. That's the way it has gone for both of these teams during this Stanley Cup.
9.52pm ET
Kings 3-0 Rangers, 0:56, second period
The Rangers go on the power play - Jake Muzzin interferes with Derek Dorsett, and another shot for New York to get back in the game.
9.50pm ET
Two on one - Mike Richards, skating down the boards, moving towards net, he's looking to pass to Trevor Lewis, but it's off the skate of the Rangers Ryan McDonagh, back to Richards, then he beats Lundqvist! It's a third Kings goal!
9.47pm ET
The last time the Rangers scored a power play goal, America was ruled by actual kings.
9.45pm ET
Kings 2-0 Rangers, 3:23, second period
The Rangers kill the penalty. Now Brassard flicks a shot from the top of the near circle and Quick flicks it away.
9.42pm ET
Kings 2-0 Rangers, 4:46, second period
Doughty, blue line pass to Martine at the near point and he puts it right on net forcing the save from Lundqvist who holds on.
9.40pm ET
Kings 2-0 Rangers, 6:09, second period
Richards shoots wide, then McDonagh is blocked by Greene from the point.
9.36pm ET
Kings 2-0 Rangers, 7:57, second period
Here come the Rangers - Rick Nash, skating - he's around the net, the net is open but he loses the puck! Oh my! Now there's a penalty, it's Drew Doughty who will go for preventing a Nash goal.
9.35pm ET
Celebrity Spotting
Bobby de Niro and Bryan Cranston in the Garden tonight for #StanleyCupFinal #game3 @LengelDavid pic.twitter.com/JlHOV8Jvt8
9.33pm ET
Kings 2-0 Rangers, 9:11, second period
Brassard again with another shot off a rebound from the stick of Girardi! That doesn't go - the penalty is over but New York ha some chances there.
9.31pm ET
Kings 2-0 Rangers, 9:55, second period
Richards a shot from the near point, it gets through but is saved.
9.28pm ET
Kings 2-0 Rangers, 11:47, second period
The NHL says the goal is credited to Muzzin, with assists to Kopitar and Gaborik, but that could change of course.
9.23pm ET
Now Muzzin fires, and the puck goes off Martin St Louis before being deflected off Carter past Lundvist and into the net! It's a power play goal for LA, and now it's the Kings who are up a pair of goals!
9.21pm ET
Kings 1-0 Rangers, 16:13, second period
Kings move the puck, it's played in and misdirected off the stick of Carter forcing Lundqvist to make a difficult save.
9.20pm ET
Kings 1-0 Rangers, 16:38, second period
Now another penalty - Staal's stick is up again - this time he finds Martinez and now LA will go on another power play.
9.18pm ET
Kings 1-0 Rangers, 17:00, second period
Alec Martinez with a little wrist shot at Lundvist around the circle but it's easy for the Swede. Just one shot on LA's man-advantage, which is now over. LA are now 1-9 this series on the power play.
9.17pm ET
Kings 1-0 Rangers, 18:13, second period
Lundqvist hoists the puck off the glass to clear the zone. Then King Henrik is hit on the ensuing play by Dustin Brown, who had been hit by Marc Staal and went tumbling - all are OK.
9.15pm ET
...and we're back.
New York need to get their crowd back in this game, but an early penalty won't help. Ryan McDonagh is guilty of high sticking Anze Kopitar who gets it right in the mouth. That will be the Kings first power play of the night.
9.09pm ET
#Kings goal 0.0 seconds from end of first period rather subdued the mood at the Garden @LengelDavid #StanleyCupFinal #LetsGoRangers
I can imagine that being the case, yes. Rangers fans are some of the best complainers on the planet, even during the best of times, never mind now.
9.08pm ET
Aside from Jeff Carter's buzzer-beater, the teams are more or less level statistically - shots, hits, giveaways, takeaways are all pretty close to even steven. The scoreboard however, isn't.
9.06pm ET
LA LIVE at the end of 1. #Cartsy pic.twitter.com/ODx8CEZfMB
That's a healthy crowd in a city where ice hockey continues to grow and grow. Their team is two periods away from a 3-0 series lead.
8.59pm ET
Michael Aston writes:
"Did the Kings Dwight King interfere with The King during LA's 5-4 double overtime victory over the New York Rangers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals"?
Did Michael Jordan, push off in his final throw in a bull shirt, to win his 6th ring, did Maradona, use his hand to beat England and eventually win a world cup? Yes, and this is how sports go, when officials miss calls, champions are born..hell, did the ball cross the line in '66/ NOPE!
8.58pm ET
Well that is a mortifying end of the period for New York, who once again played a solid period of hockey and have nothing to show for it. Not only that, LA have their first lead of this series, which really is incredible for a team up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals.
FYI, Justin Williams and Slava Voynov get the assists on the goal.
8.55pm ET
Time is winding down and with split seconds left Carter fires - it goes glove side and into the net!
The Kings have scored with virtually no time remaining and the Rangers crowd are stunned! There was just .3 seconds left when the puck crossed the line!
8.53pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 0:18, first period
The Rangers are offsides 19 seconds into their man-advantage.
8.50pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 2:18, first period
Two Kings turnovers keep LA busy in their own zone. There's a fight for the puck on the far boards before the refs blow the whistle - it's a penalty!
8.46pm ET
Well it's a fast paced game, there hasn't been a lot of stoppage in play, both teams are trying real hard.
That's Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, who has seen these teams stop play on just four occasions thus far - this game is flying by...literally.
8.43pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 4:35, first period
Jarrett Stoll is throwing his body around and causing the Rangers to turn it over but LA get no major chance out of it.
8.41pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 7:20, first period
Here's a chance - John Moore plays the puck in and the rebound comes to Mats Zuccarello who is there with tons of net but can't get it into the net! Oh my - Quick got his stick on the puck at the very last moment!!
8.39pm ET
Shot totals
The shots are 2-2 according to the manual scorekeepers in the NBC booth, and that makes sense, because there hasn't been much of anything thus far in terms of shots or any real legitimate chances.
8.38pm ET
So the servers at the Garden are down. If only it was owned by a company that provides Internet service. #NYR
Ouch.
8.37pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 8:59, first period
Now Pearson with a shot from above the far circle, but it's right into the safe pads of Henrik Lundvist as he holds on and stops play, something that has barely happened in the first period.
8.35pm ET
Servers down
Apparently the servers are down at Madison Square Garden, so all they have is the score and the clock. That means no shot totals or anything else...
8.33pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 11:03, first period
Nash centers the puck but Mitchell is there to knck away the puck.
8.31pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 13:44, first period
Now it's Anze Kopitar carrying, carrying, behind the net, controlling, and now he's trying to wrap around, but it's off the blade of his stick and the puck slides across the crease. The Kings now are controlling the puck in the Rangers zone before New York clear the zone and are called for icing - so LA settling in a bit here.
8.29pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 15:32, first period
Hagelin around the net, he's wrapping it around but Quick is there to make the stop. The Swede's attempt comes moments after he slides into the boards, which means he made a solid recovery.
8.27pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 16:34, first period
Matt Greene is at point, where the Kings have ben so very dangerous - he fires but Lundqvist pounces on it, there's no rebound, he holds on.
8.25pm ET
Kings 0-0 Rangers, 17:00, first period
A three-on-two rush by the Kings yields no shot.
8.23pm ET
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals is underway! And that means Marian Gaborik, the former Ranger, is about to hear it from a hostile crowd...
8.21pm ET
Here come the Rangers onto the Garden ice, to the tune of Baba O'Riley by The Who - I'm sure that's exactly what Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey had in mind when they wrote it. Meanwhile, NBC TV here in the US hare having a word with Martin St Louis:
Push it, believe in ourselves....I think scoring first every time.
8.17pm ET
In case you were wondering how the Kings took a 2-0 series lead over the New York Rangers, woop here it is.
8.07pm ET
A lot has changed in the two decades since Madison Square Garden played host to Stanley Cup Hockey, but John Amirante still sings the national anthem. He's still as solid as they come, even if sometimes you can't hear him - back in 1994 the crowd drowned him out before Game 7.
7.58pm ET
7.50pm ET
I Want A Cronut #LGR pic.twitter.com/jU4qpJu5lf
I think that makes two of us...
7.43pm ET
Predictions
Not only are the Kings the first team to win three straight playoff games after being down two goals, but Los Angeles also pulled off this unprecedented trick:
7.36pm ET
In the hours since the close of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, there's been much discussion about a controversial third period goal, one where the point of contention reads like a riddle:
Did King of the Kings keep the King from doing his thing?
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