For the second time in this cup finals a game has had to require overtime to decide a winner, and for the second game in these finals, the Kings won it in Overtime. This time the hero wasn't Anze Kopitar, it wa Jeff Carter. Here is the story thanks to NHL.com.
While sitting in the visitor's dressing room during the intermission before overtime Saturday night, Kings forward Jarret Stoll couldn't help but notice his team's confidence and belief.
Stoll has seen both grow throughout the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but with Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on the line, he needed to see it again -- and he did.
"We knew we had the goal in here somewhere," Stoll said after the Kings' 2-1 win. "That's all we were talking about in the intermission, how someone had it."
That someone was Jeff Carter, because like the rest of his teammates he never stopped believing -- and, more important, never stopped moving his feet before scoring at 13:42 of the extra session.
Los Angeles is heading home with a 2-0 lead in the series and a chance to win the Stanley Cup at Staples Center. The Kings are the first team in history to go 10-0 on the road in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
They might not play another road game. Game 3 is Monday in L.A. (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS).
"He's a goal-scorer," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said of Carter. "You know what, you're counting on him to score a big goal."
After getting stuffed by Martin Brodeur (30 saves) on the right side of the net, Carter curled around the back of the net and found the puck on the left side. He carried it through the circle and from high above the hash marks he rifled a shot past Brodeur's blocker side for the Kings' second straight overtime winner in as many games in the Stanley Cup Final.
"Just gotta find a way to get a bounce, get a break, find a loose puck, whatever," Stoll said. "Carts stayed with that play and he made a great shot. It had to be a great shot to win this game, the way it was going."
Just like it did in Game 1, when Anze Kopitar beat Brodeur on a breakaway 8:13 into overtime to give the Kings an identical 2-1 win.
The Devils have to live with both overtime losses despite feeling much better about the way they played in Game 2.
They had a 30-21 advantage in shots on goal through regulation. The game-tying goal, scored on a deflection by Ryan Carter, was a direct result of a strong forecheck by their fourth line.
"We played a much better game," coach Peter DeBoer said. "I knew we would respond. We did it the right way."
And still it wasn't enough, largely because the Kings had the better run of play in overtime, including an 11-3 edge in shots on goal, and goalie Jonathan Quick was again on point when it mattered most. Quick finished with 32 saves, giving him 48 on 50 shots in the two games in New Jersey.
Neither of the Devils' goals in the first two games was clean. The goal they got in Game 1 went in off of Kings defenseman Slava Voynov's chest; the goal they got in Game 2 was a deflection by Carter off a point shot by Marek Zidlicky.
"We worked hard and we did a lot of good things; we're just having a hard time scoring," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "Again, same as the first game, that's the difference. It (stinks), but we can't do anything about it now. We'll go there and try to get a couple back."
"There" is Los Angeles, where the Devils and Kings will play Games 3 and 4, where the Kings could potentially win the Stanley Cup if they do win Game 3.
That's not something they were prepared to talk about following Game 2.
"You don't win the Cup winning two games in the Final," Stoll said.
They got closer to winning the Cup on Saturday because Jeff Carter made the play of his career, because Quick was terrific when the Devils pushed early and late, and because Drew Doughty scored a highlight-reel goal to give L.A. a 1-0 lead 7:49 into the first period.
Doughty did it with a terrific individual effort. He carried the puck in from the far blue line. He went around Stephen Gionta at center ice and then Carter at the Devils' blue line before he smoked a shot from the right circle that went through Bryce Salvador and past Brodeur.
Doughty, who also had an assist on Kopitar's overtime winner in Game 1, has three goals and nine assists for 12 points in the playoffs. He played a game-high 32:19 in Game 2 after playing a game-high 28:15 in Game 1.
"I just saw some ice in front of me, decided to skate with the puck," Doughty said. "I don't know who the D-man was, but I tried to use him as a screen. Marty has that quick glove so I went blocker side. I didn't even know it went in actually, but luckily, it did."
Ironically, Carter also went blocker side to beat Brodeur. In fact, on his OT-winner in Game 1, Kopitar deked to his forehand so he could score on Brodeur's blocker side.
The difference is Kopitar scored on a breakaway while Carter had the luxury of Dustin Penner, all 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds of him, screening Brodeur.
"Penns did a great job of getting right in front of Marty there," Carter said. "To be honest, I don't even know if he saw around Penns, or if he saw the shot."
Brodeur said he was mostly screened and didn't pick up the shot until late -- until too late.
"It's unfortunate, but with a little luck on our side, we could be up 2-0," Brodeur said. "I think we have to find that positive and go into the L.A. and sneak one game as early as we can and go from there. It makes it a little harder, but we're here now."
The only problem is the Devils are facing a team that believes it will win no matter the circumstance or the venue.
The Kings have won 14 games so far. Two more gets them a summer with Stanley.
"We haven't won anything," Stoll said.
Yet.
Here is the video from Jeff Carter's Heroics:
The Kings are the 12th team in history to win the first two games of the cup finals. Nine of the previous eleven have gone on to win the Cup. this is the first time since 2004 the first two games have ended in identical scores. It was 2-1 in both games this year and in 2004 it was 4-1 games in both one and two, with the Flames taking game one and the Lightning taking game two. The last time a team won the first two games of the finals by the same score was in 1997 when the Detroit Red Wings beat the Philadelphia Flyers by scores of 4-2. Game three will be monday night from the Staples Center in LA at 8 p.m.
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