Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

06/07/2014 at 12:44pm EDT

KINGS, RANGERS FACE OFF IN GAME 2 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL
The Kings and Rangers face off in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at STAPLES Center, following a 3-2 overtime victory by Los Angeles in the series opener. The Kings are 15-5 in their last 20 home playoff games (dating to June 11, 2012), including wins in four of their past five. The Rangers, meanwhile, have six wins as visitors this postseason, second only to Los Angeles (7). During the regular season, New York led the Eastern Conference and tied for second in the NHL with 25 road victories (25-14-2).

* Teams winning Game 2 have gone on to hoist the Stanley Cup 74.3% of the time since the Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939 (55-of-74 series), including eight of the past 11 occasions.

* Forty-eight teams have taken a 2-0 series lead since the Stanley Cup Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939. Of those clubs, 43 (89.9%) have gone on to claim the Stanley Cup, including the 2012 Kings in the most recent such occurrence.

* The all-time series record of home teams sweeping Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is 32-3 (.914), but two of those losses have come in the last five years: the Red Wings won the first two games at home in 2009 before ultimately losing to the Penguins in seven games, while the Canucks won the opening two games at home in 2011 before eventually falling to the Bruins in seven contests.

* The only other time the home team has won the first two games of the Final but did not ultimately win the Stanley Cup was in 1971, when the Blackhawks took a 2-0 series lead before losing to the Canadiens in seven games.

* In 2013, the Blackhawks and Bruins split the opening two games of the Stanley Cup Final – the first time that had happened since 2004. The Bruins won Game 2, but eventually lost the series in six contests.

* Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final have required overtime in each of the past two years (2012: LA-NJ, 2013: CHI-BOS). Prior to 2012, it had been 61 years since the opening two contests of the Stanley Cup Final went to extra time.

Other Trends:

* The Kings have played three overtime games in their last four outings (2-1), while the Rangers have contested three overtime games in their past five (1-2).

* Overall, the Kings are 3-2 in overtime games this postseason, while the Rangers are 2-2.

* The Rangers also lost in overtime of Game 1 in their most recent Stanley Cup Final appearance, in 1994 vs. VAN (by the same 3-2 score). They ultimately came back to win that series in seven games.

* The Kings are 8-2 when scoring first this postseason, while the Rangers are 10-4.

* The Kings are 8-1 when leading after two periods this postseason. They also have two wins when trailing after 40 minutes (2-7), tied for the most in the NHL with the Blue Jackets (2-1) and Bruins (2-4).

* The Rangers boast a perfect 10-0 mark when leading after two periods this postseason, but are 0-7 when trailing after 40 minutes.

* Kings forward Jeff Carter has registered at least one point in eight of the team’s past nine games, totaling 6-8—14 in that span.

* Kings forward Justin Williams has posted at least one point in six of the team’s last seven games, compiling 3-6—9 in that span.

* Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has recorded at least one point in five of the team’s last seven games, totaling 4-4—8 in that span.

* Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh is riding a four-game assist/point streak (0-5—5). He is the first Rangers defenseman to register a four-game assist streak in the playoffs since 1995, when Sergei Zubov did so from May 14-22 (0-6—6).

* Rangers forward Derek Stepan has 3-6—9 in his last eight appearances, but has been held off the scoresheet in each of his past two outings.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION
NY Rangers @ Los Angeles, Game 2, LA leads 1-0, 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, NBC, CBC, RDS

thanks to the NHL PR department for the above information

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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