This is what it all comes down to. Four wins separate both the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers from glory. Months of hard work, slumps, hot streaks, distractions, and it was all worth it for these players to have their chance to raise Lord Stanley.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most grueling playoffs in all of sports. If you aren’t sacrificing your body and leaving everything you got on the ice every single night, then you aren’t going to make it to the 16 wins that get you a Championship parade. There are no nights off, there are no redo’s, there is only victory.
Now, let’s break this matchup down.
Forwards Preview
The New York Rangers don’t have a single player leading them offensively in these Playoffs. Instead they have a group of players that are all finding ways to contribute offensively. Every night it comes from a different line, which makes them dangerous. The Rangers are going to lean heavily on the experience of both Marty St. Louis and Brad Richards, teammates who won the Cup together in Tampa Bay. Rick Nash needs to be effective in this series. Throughout the Playoffs he has gotten better and is starting to find the back of the net with more frequency. The Rangers need him to be a force in this series. Nash needs to use his speed, hands, and power game to create opportunities for himself and his linemates. Derick Brassard may be the most important player on this team. He has been vital in shutting down the opposition’s top players throughout these Playoffs. He has brought his defensive game to an entire new level, and he may be tasked with handling the Carter line, something no team has been able to do.
The Los Angeles Kings have the star power right now. Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik, these are guys that are NHL stars and playing the part. Kopitar and his linemates have been going against the top opposition players, and owning them. Led by Kopitar and his amazing two-way skills, Kopitar and Gaborik are still finding ways to score. Kopitar leads the Playoffs in points, while Gaborik leads the Playoffs in goals, all this while shutting down top opposition players. The offense doesn’t stop there though; the Rangers have to find a way to handle the Carter, Toffoli, Pearson line. Carter’s line has been providing secondary scoring at an amazing rate, converting chances and helping drive the Kings’ scoring rates through the roof. The rest of the Kings’ lineup has a focus on depth. The bottom six play incredibly hard every shift. They use speed and physicality to create momentum for the Kings. There is no weakness in the forward group, and every single player is an important cog in the wheel of the Kings success.
Advantage: Los Angeles. The Kings are going to show just how important depth is in a forward group. There is no goons on this team that can’t catch or make a pass. The top two lines have been unstoppable and have shown no signs of slowing down.
Defense Preview
The Rangers boast a decent defense group, which is led by star defender Ryan McDonagh. In these Playoffs McDonagh has taken his offensive game to a whole other level, but it has been his ability to control the defensive end. He has shown the versatility that makes him one of the best in the game. Following McDonagh is Girardi, Staal, Stralman, Klein and Moore. Girardi hasn’t been the most impressive, albeit playing against the top players, but Staal and Stralman have been having solid Playoffs. The top four defenseman have been handling the tough opposition in a rotating basis. They will need to find a way to handle the banging and crashing that is a huge part of the Kings game. Thus far this Rangers team has not faced such a physical team, it’s imperative that their defense moves the puck quickly and doesn’t give the Kings a chance to set the cycle up down low.
The Kings defense is led by one of the best in the entire NHL by name of Drew Doughty. Doughty has been every bit as important to this Kings run as Kopitar, Carter and Gaborik. Doughty has been shutting the opposition down every signle night, driving the possession in the Kings favor, contributing offensively and playing over 27 minutes every night. He plays in all situations, and with 16 points in 21 games, Doughty is firmly in the Conn Smythe conversation. The rest of the Kings defense is a mixture of big bodies like Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell. Then of course there is Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin, and Slava Voynov. Voynov has not had as much success in these Playoffs as he did in the regular season and has struggled at times. However, Muzzin and Martinez are establishing themselves as great defenseman in their own right. Both Muzzin and Martinez are smooth skaters, with an ability to move the puck efficiently. The strength of this defense starts and ends with Doughty. He will lead this Kings defense, and on the big stage that is New York City, he will not disappoint.
Advantage: The Kings once again, it comes down to McDonagh and Doughty, and Doughty wins that every time.
Goalie Preview
This is where the Cup will be won and lost. The Rangers have relied heavily on Henrik Lundqvist throughout these Playoffs, and the King has been up to the task. Lundqvist has a SV% of 92.8% and has been the Rangers most important player. He is one of the top goalies in the game, and will be fighting for his first ever Stanley Cup. Lundqvist seems to elevate his game as the pressure mounts and if the Rangers have any hope, that hope stems from the crease out.
Jonathan Quick was the Conn Smythe winner when LA won the cup in 2012. In this years’ Playoffs Quick has not had the same success. He is still playing great for the most part, but he has shown lapses in his game and been exposed on many nights. He is an incredibly acrobatic goaltender, and he is a battler. He doesn’t give up on any play, and has the ability to take over games. The experience of Quick should ring true in these Finals, having been here before he knows how to handle the high-pressure situation. The Kings will need Quick to be at his best in this series just to match Lundqvist.
Advantage: New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick is an incredible goaltender, but his play in these Playoffs has been up and down. Lundqvist on the other hand has been stellar throughout (besides of course one game in Montreal) and is carrying this Rangers team on his back. Lundqvist cannot win this Cup by himself, but he should give the Rangers the confidence to win every single night.
Wrap Up
The Kings and Rangers have both fought incredibly hard to get here. Los Angeles is the first team in NHL history to win three Game seven’s en route to the Finals. Both teams have fought back from the brink of defeat and pulled off miraculous series comebacks. In the end it’s going to come down to whichever team has the most left in the tank, and whichever team isn’t afraid to leave it all on the ice.