Kings 3, Rangers 2: Justin Williams scores OT winner in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

Wha’ Happened?

The Los Angeles Kings have deservedly come to be described as playoff cockroaches. Series deficits, game deficits, nuclear bombs … you just can’t kill them, they just won’t go away. They solidified that reputation in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Kings won 3-2 in overtime on a Justin Williams snipe after finding themselves behind 2-0 in the first. They owned the third period and beyond.

The Scoring

NYR 1 - LA 0

A Drew Doughty toe drag as the last man back at the offensive blue line was poked into the neutral zone by Benoit Pouliot, who enjoyed an in-game penalty shot of sorts thanks to Jake Muzzin blowing a tire in the neutral zone. Great shot, mid-to-high blocker.

NYR 2 - LA 0

Carl Hagelin be faaast. His shorthanded effort was stopped, but a fortunate bounce off the back-checking Slava Voynov saw it slide in.

NYR 2 - LA 1

Jeff Carter saw a teammate in front of the net in Kyle Clifford, who did the only thing he could do from that rough angle: smack the puck at the net and hope. It rode up his blade, which elevated it over Lundqvist’s shoulder.

NYR 2 - LA 2

Justin Williams delayed on a rush and waited for support. He dished to Drew Doughty coming late, who once again rolled the risk/reward dice at the offensive blue, this time pulling the puck through his legs to get himself a clean look before burying a beauty past Henrik Lundqvist.

OT Winner, NYR 2 - LA 3

The Kings fumbled a rush, which left Dan Girardi with the puck. He fanned on it, semi-fell, and panic-chucked it up the boards, only to discover he had no support. A single pass to Justin Williams and an unbelievable release saw the puck snapped in over Lundqvist’s blocker side. Game, set, match.

[Courtesy: NHL.com]

Best Player, Winning Team

Drew Doughty

Why: Doughty played 27 minutes, more than any other player on the Kings. He faced the toughest competition in guys like Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh … you get the idea. He scored the type of goal (to tie the game) you don’t get from replacement players, or good players, or better than good players. You get them from game breakers. His gaffe in the first may have been ugly, but the Kings don't win that game with a replacement-level player in his role.

Best Player, Losing Team

Carl Hagelin

Why: I know you want to default to Hank, but the Clifford goal was “meh,” and the Doughty goal went under his arm. In just over 15 minutes of ice time (2:50 of which was shorthanded) Carl Hagelin took a team-high five shots, scored a shorty, and came awfully close to a second with 45 seconds left in a tie game. The Kings defense struggled to contain his speed.

The Controversies

Nothing too major, so two quick points:

Dustin Brown takes a head shot, doesn’t head to the quiet room.

If you say you’re fine, what are they going to do? "I didn't get hit in the head" sort of cuts that debate short. Plus, how would you be able to tell if Dustin Brown has a head injury anyway? 

(Jokes, people, jokes.)

Brian Boyle gets a slashing penalty late in the game because the stick he slashed broke.

That call has to die. For years that’s been a legal defensive tactic - lift a stick, or hack it to hold it down. If you avoid the hands it shouldn’t be a call, as long as it’s not ridiculous. Battling for pucks with sticks low is just about the only way to win them.

What the Winners Did Well

The Kings just seem to get better, and better, and better as games go on. They don’t roll over, as this shot-attempt chart attests:

[Courtesy: Extra Skater]

Look at that spike from the start of the third period. 

Attempts aside, they outshot the Rangers 20-3 in the third. That's ... uneven.

The Kings have had a larger share of shots per game than any other team in hockey over the past few years. They used that skill to their advantage again on Wednesday.

How the Winners Stopped their Opponent

Jonathan Quick held the Kings in the game early when it looked like the Rangers might run away with it, which allowed his team to stay close. When you’re backstopping a good team, that’s all that’s asked of you - keep us in it, allow us to right the ship. And right it they did.

Even though he didn't see many shots in the third, he made a couple incredible stops, particularly the one on the Hagelin breakaway.

The Takeaway

The Rangers were the underdog heading into the series, and this was a game that was there for the taking. When that happens against a superior opponent, missing the chance hurts, and hurts bad. It happens often in hockey - one team pours on the pressure until the other gets a single look on a cold goalie and steals the win. This could have been “that game” for the Rangers.

It’s not that the Rangers are done after a single loss, but they should definitely be fearful that Wednesday's "third period Kings" could start to show up a little more going forward. Alain Vigneault is a smart coach and will study video to decide what needs to change, but you only have so much time to figure it out.

Stray Thoughts

• Before the game, each player listed their hometown and favorite team. Matt Greene’s was … Bob Rouse? Not Wayne Gretzky or Paul Kariya or Patrick Roy … Bob Rouse. Alrighty then.

• Speaking of the "favorite player" intros, here's a light dose of nightmare fuel...

• I don’t really get guys who wear their visors like Carl Hagelin:

• Lundqvist and Quick both made a number of saves thanks to perfect positioning. NHL shooters are incredible, but these guys never collapse or guess. They stay big and catch just a tiny piece so often - it’s not luck.

• After Chris Kreider gave Drew Doughty a butt-end to the head, Doughty was irate, and yelling at the referee from the bench. Matt Greene, who had just been split above the eye, basically grabbed him and told him to settle the heck down. "WE ALL GO THROUGH IT, DREW, YOU'RE NOT HELPING OUR CAUSE." I liked that.

• Where in the heck was Dan Girardi’s help on the OT winner? His play was ugly, sure, but man, you expect a little support at a time like that. His partner (Ryan McDonagh) was at the blueline, and his winger (Benoit Pouliot) flew the zone. Systems Analyst post coming on that tomorrow.

Check out theScore's alternate game recap to watch more highlights from the Kings' Game 1 overtime win.