Victory.
The Los Angeles Kings are your 2012 Stanley Cup champions.
In all six games of the Stanley Cup final, the team to score the opening goal took the win at the end of the night and the Kings wrapped up the playoffs making sure that streak was intact. After a crucial five minute major was handed out to the Devils’ Steve Bernier for his hit on Rob Scuderi, the Kings went to work on the power play and netted three goals before time expired on the major to pave the way to victory.
Dustin Brown broke the deadlock 11 minutes into the period — one minute into the power play — as he deflected a Drew Doughty point shot past Martin Brodeur. The goal was Brown’s eighth of the playoffs as he moved into a tie for the playoff scoring lead.
Jeff Carter netted his seventh goal of the playoffs under two minutes later for the Kings as he tipped home a shot from Brown to give the Kings a 2-0 lead. The goal stood as the game winner at the end of regulation.
Trevor Lewis scored the Kings third power play goal with second’s remaining on the Bernier major penalty as he backhanded a shot past Brodeur after taking a feed from Dwight King. Doughty also assisted on the Lewis goal for his second assist of the period. Mike Richards also finished the first frame with two assists.
The Kings came out quick to start the second period as Carter scored his second goal of the game and eighth of the playoffs just 1:30 into the frame. Brown earned the first assist on the goal for his third point of the night while Anze Kopitar earned his first point of the night.
The Devils tried to make a game of it in the second as Adam Henrique scored with less than two minutes to play in the second period to narrow the deficit to 4-1 heading into the intermission but that was as close as they could get.
After a back and forth start to the third period, the Kings scored the dagger with 16:15 gone in the third period as Lewis potted his second goal of the game with Brodeur on the bench in favor of the extra attacker. Matt Greene scored just 15 seconds later to clinch the 6-1 score.
Jonathan Quick took home the Conn Smythe trophy as 2012 playoff MVP. With Quick in goal the Kings rolled to a 16-4 record in the playoffs.
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