Kings Win Stanley Cup, Rout Devils 6-1
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Goaltender Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the Kings to their first-ever Stanley Cup title (Resolute/Wikimedia Commons)
The Kings cruised to a 6-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils Monday night at Staples Center to capture the NHL's holy grail in six games. In doing so, they became the first No. 8 seed to win the Cup, toppling the No. 1-seeded Vancouver Canucks, No. 2-seeded St. Louis Blues and No. 3-seeded Phoenix Coyotes during their unexpected run.
Centers Jeff Carter and Trevor Lewis supplied two goals apiece, while goaltender Jonathan Quick made 17 saves and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player.
The Kings skated away with the contest halfway through the first period when they netted three power-play goals, aided by Devils forward Steve Bernier's boarding penalty after a hit on Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi.
Right wing Dustin Brown slotted the game's first goal 11 minutes into the first period. Brown, who assisted on two of the goals, became just the second American-born captain to win a Stanley Cup. Carter and Lewis also added one goal each during the five-minute power play.
New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur turned away 19 shots, while Adam Henrique scored the Devils' lone goal of the game with about one minute remaining in the second period.
The title victory finishes off a season in which the Kings nearly missed out on one of the Western Conference's eight playoff spots. Coach Darryl Sutter's team needed a late-season surge and a collapse from the Dallas Stars to sneak into the final playoff position.
The Kings suffered just four losses during their Cup run. They went 10-1 on the road and held a 3-0 lead in all four series.
The last time the Stanley Cup trophy made its way to Southern California was in 2007 when the Anaheim Ducks outlasted the Ottawa Senators in five games.
L.A.'s only other Cup final appearance came in 1993 when the team, led by Hall-of-Famers Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille, fell to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
