Kings stymie Ducks in Game 2, take 2-0 series lead
The Los Angeles Kings scored early in Game 2, lost the lead briefly, regained it and held on desperately for 50 minutes as the Anaheim Ducks carried play by an increasingly large margin.
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick proved up to the task, however, making 35-saves in Game 2 as the Kings escaped Orange County with a 2-0 series lead despite being dramatically outshot 36-to-17.
Marian Gaborik and Alec Martinez tallied for Los Angeles (Dwight King added an empty netter), while Patrick Maroon scored the loan Ducks goal on a first period power-play.
Game 3 goes Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.
Star Performer
Quick, who already has a Conn Smythe trophy to his name, continues to burnish his reputation as Mr. May.
In Game 2, Quick was dynamic and dominant, as he withstood a flurry of Ducks scoring chances, even as the Kings went into a defensive shell and stopped pressing entirely in the third period.
Weird bounce off the stanchion? Quick's got it:
[Courtesy NHL.com]
He's just dialed in at the moment.
Turning Point
Kings defender Alec Martinez is massively underrated, and should probably play more. With injuries to Kings defenders like Robyn Regehr and Willie Mitchell - both of whom Martinez is arguably more effective than at this point in their respective careers - Martinez has taken on a more prominent role for the Kings in this series.
In Game 2, Martinez logged 18:21 of ice-time and scored the game-winning goal. His goal restored the Kings' lead just two minutes after the Ducks had tied things up on a Patrick Maroon goal. It was a lead Los Angeles wouldn't relinquish:
[Courtesy NHL.com]
Highlight Reel
Corey Perry's "rat game" - as theScore's Justin Bourne put it perfectly - is so, so strong:
[By @myregularface, courtesy NBCSN]
Perry's like a jerk-puck Jedi at this point.
Quote of the night
"Every series in the @NHL is a season." - The Coach on winning 6 in a row pic.twitter.com/XV6MbminiH
— LA Kings (@LAKings) May 6, 2014
Series at a glance
Game 1: Kings 3, Ducks 2 (OT) (Kings lead 1-0)
Game 2: Kings 2, Ducks 1 (Kings lead 2-0)
Game 3: Thursday, May 8 - 10:00 p.m. ET
Game 4: Saturday, May 10 - TBD
Game 5*: Monday, May 12 -TBD
Game 6*: Wednesday, May 14 - TBD
Game 7*: Friday, May 16 - TBD