Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) stops a shot on the goal by New Jersey Devils' Travis Zajac (19) during the second period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals Saturday, June 9, 2012, in Newark N.J.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
June 10, 2012 - 11:50 AM
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Los Angeles Kings have entered uncharted territory.
After a quick cross-contintent trip to New Jersey and back, their task remains the same: win one game and sip from the Stanley Cup. However, with Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Devils, they find themselves facing a Game 6 for the first time all playoffs.
And the Los Angeles players know they best not blow a third opportunity to finish off the Devils.
"I'm pissed off," Kings forward Justin Williams, a standout in this series, said after Game 5. "A lot of guys in that room are pissed off."
It likely made for a quiet flight back home. The Kings were scheduled to have a meeting at their El Segundo, Calif., practice facility on Sunday in preparation for Monday's Game 6 at Staples Center. New Jersey elected to skate Sunday after making the 3,900-kilometre trip to California.
Everyone involved in the series is plenty aware of what's at stake now.
"They're going to award the Stanley Cup to somebody here in the next two games," said Devils coach Pete DeBoer. "There's only two games left in a season where both teams are going on 110 games. So this is probably right where you want to be."
The mood has certainly shifted since the Kings won the opening three games of the Stanley Cup and appeared to be heading for a sweep. There has been very little to separate the teams and veteran Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur had solid outings in Games 4 and 5 to get his squad back in the series.
Some significant history will be made no matter who raises the trophy.
Los Angeles is after its first title in 45 years while the Devils are seeking to become the first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to erase a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup.
A key factor to watch in Game 6 is who scores first. In a series where goals have been extremely tough to come by, the team who takes the first lead has won five in a row.
"The only way to really look at it in the series is the first goal," said Kings coach Darryl Sutter. "Whoever scores the first goal, that's the way it's been. We scored the first goal in the first three. That tells you just really how close it is."
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012