If there is anyone in hockey who understands the importance of hope and belief in the playoffs, it is the Los Angeles Kings. They have consistently used both as guides while they took the scenic route to the Stanley Cup Finals. On all levels they were able to overcome obstacles: down three games to none against the San Jose Sharks in round one, down three games to two in the semi-finals and down 2-0 in Game 7 of the Western Conference final to the Chicago Blackhawks.
This means that they are in a better position than most to understand that, if fueled correctly, the New York Rangers can make the fire from the spark they ignited in Game 4 incredibly dangerous. Going forward in this series, this knowledge is both an advantage and a disadvantage for the Kings.
On one hand, they know what kind of positive thoughts that they have to try to discourage from their opponent’s minds. They know what kind of mistakes and plays can truly turn the series, the kind that did for them against the Sharks.
On the other, they haven’t played well with the lead in these playoffs, only narrowly escaping the Chicago Blackhawks after taking the knife of their throat. The Rangers are a less threatening team in this regard than the Blackhawks, but the moment the Kings think that is the case it will cost them.
The scoreline of this game hardly mattered, a win is a win is a win for the Rangers and would have meant the same thing if it were 2-1, as it was on the night, or 6-0. The way it played out, however, is important; this was the first game of the finals that goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has stolen for the Rangers, and the confidence he will gain from it is crucial.
The Kings were by far the better team, as they understood the importance of closing out a team, and extinguish any hope before it can do any damage. The seventies line were as dangerous as they have ever been, with Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson all having good games.
Jonathan Quick was the biggest let down for the Kings. With only 19 shots against, you would have expected the Kings to be able to get a win in this game, no matter how few they were able to get at the other end. He let his team know it after the game, patting each one of them individually on the back as they left the ice.
But it is improbable that the Rangers will be able to catch Quick sleeping like this again. He is not the type of goaltender that lets you back into a series, as he rarely has two bad games back to back. At home he is going to be incredibly difficult to beat, and the Rangers will have to perform significantly better in order to get a win.
Overall, it is incredibly unlikely that the Rangers will be able to complete a comeback. There is a reason that the majority of teams that climb out of a hole of this magnitude do so in the first couple of rounds. The teams that make it to the Stanley Cup final know how to close out a series, and the Kings are no different.
That being said, if there is hockey played in New York again this season then all bets are off. The next game is pivotal in the comeback attempt for more than just the obvious fact that the Rangers will be eliminated should they lose. The Rangers came oh so close to winning both games in Los Angeles, and a failure to do so made the losses even worse in terms of morale than they should have been.
Can the Rangers come all the way back and win the Cup? It is unbelievably unlikely. But they are in a better spot now than they were before Game 4 started, and that’s all that they can ask for at this point.
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