Sportsbook & Casino » NHL hockey news

Doan scores a pair of goals as Coyotes shut out the Kings, avoid being swept

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:47:10 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 20, 2012

And then Captain Coyote and his goalie crashed the party for a win that suggests this series is far from finished.

Coyotes-Kings: Game 4 Analysis Brian Stubits
Coyotes follow familiar recipe with goals from Doan, saves from Smith to stay alive Related links Coyotes arent giving up in West final Kings stay focused on task at hand L.A. power play needs work Team pages: Coyotes | Kings Playoffs schedule, results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter | Facebook

Shane Doan scored two goals, Mike Smith made 36 saves in his third playoff shutout, and the Phoenix Coyotes emphatically avoided playoff elimination with a 2-0 victory in Game 4 of the conference finals on Sunday.

Ray Whitney and Antoine Vermette had assists for the Coyotes, who avoided the sweep by snapping the eighth-seeded Kings eight-game winning streak and canceling Los Angeles plans to celebrate its first berth in the Stanley Cup finals since 1993. With their backs against the glass, the Coyotes soundly outplayed an opponent that had been on an 11-1 run through the postseason.

“We recognize we put ourselves in a tough position, [but] we also know it has been done,” said Doan, Phoenixs captain since 2003 and the sole remaining member of the Winnipeg Jets team that moved to the desert in 1996.

“I guess thats what sports are all about, trying to do something that someone hasnt done for a while, try to do things [when] the odds are kind of stacked against you,” Doan added. “Nobody wants to be in the position were in, but everybody wants to prove they can answer that call.”

Phoenix still must win three more games to become just the fourth team in NHL history to rally from an 0-3 series deficit, but the Coyotes finally regained the form they showed in knocking off Chicago and Nashville in the first two rounds.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Phoenix. Los Angeles is 7-0 on the road in the playoffs, but the Coyotes cant wait to see another whiteout in their stands.

“Two ways to look at it: Theyre either due to lose, or weve got to find a way to stop them,” Doan said. “Law of averages says youre going to lose eventually on the road, so it happens. Next game wouldnt be a bad one to lose.”

Doan scored on a power play in the first period and on a deflected shot in the second, silencing the crowd at the Kings first loss since April 18. Smith, who has all three of his shutouts on the road, made several impressive saves while outplaying Jonathan Quick for the first time in the series.

“We had nothing to lose,” Smith said. “We had to make sure we played our best game. That would give us a chance to win. We obviously had a huge game from Doaner, and it trickled down through our lineup. He was unbelievable. He was such a great leader tonight. Every guy knew that they were going to do their part to try to force this series to Game 5.”

Quick stopped 19 shots with little help from his Los Angeles teammates, who were shut out for the first time in the postseason while hitting a bump in what had been one of the most impressive playoff runs in NHL history.

The Kings have reached the Cup final just once in 44 seasons of existence, but their worst game of the postseason prevented them from claiming just the second conference title in franchise history – and becoming just the second No. 8 seed to win three playoff rounds.

“Phoenix played a really good game and came out hard,” Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. “They got a big power-play goal against us there, and they got a big faceoff goal. Smith was awesome tonight. They played well, and we can play better. We need to respond better than that.”

The resilient Coyotes are no strangers to adversity after making the playoffs in three straight seasons without an owner or impressive fan support. Asked by Doan and coach Dave Tippett to show their pride in Game 4, the Coyotes showed theyre not done with the longest playoff run in franchise history.

“Were going to go home feeling like we can grab some momentum out of this game,” Tippett said. “Theres some areas we can certainly embrace that we did better in this game than the other games in this series. You go home and try to push it along again. Were in the same situation.”

The scene was set for a Kings crowning at Staples Center, but theyll have to have to fly to Phoenix after practice Monday. Los Angeles probably should work on its power play, now in a 3-for-60 slump after going 0 for 6 in Game 4.

“Do I like going back on the road tomorrow? No, absolutely not,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “But thats the way it works. Thats why its four out of seven. Did we think, as not a home-ice team, we werent ever going to lose a game? No, its that simple. Youre supposed to play 28 games, not 12 or 13, four or five.”

With its fans standing and cheering from pregame warmup onward, Los Angeles showed only flashes of its usual aggressive forechecking and speed in Game 4. Phoenix managed just two shots in the first 14 minutes, but Doan still put the Coyotes ahead late in the period, skating out from behind the net and flicking a backhand past Quick.

Doans first goal in five games snapped Phoenixs 0-for-22 power play drought and ended the Kings streak of 30 straight penalties killed, dating to Game 5 of the first round against Vancouver on April 22. Los Angeles also fell behind in a game for just the second time since the second-round opener against St. Louis.

Doan scored again midway through the second period with a deflected shot after Vermette won a faceoff. Doans shot ricocheted off the camera inside the net, and play briefly continued while the Coyotes raised their arms.

The Kings were awful in the second period, with a failing forecheck and poor passing. Smith nearly gifted a goal to the Kings with a turnover behind his net, but the 40-year-old Whitney dived to deflect Dustin Browns shot on an open net.

“When you have nothing to lose, you just throw it all out there and see what happens,” Whitney said. “You could see we were a little less nervous with the puck.”

Although a confluence of big sporting events in downtown Los Angeles threatened to affect the day for Kings fans, they werent deterred by the traffic nightmares threatened by the Tour of California cycling race outside and a Clippers evening playoff game.

Thousands of black-jerseyed faithful formed lines outside pubs and thronged the streets outside Staples. Most of the seats were already filled by the warm-up, which began at almost the exact moment Peter Sagan won the Tours final stage on the street outside.

The NBA worried a multiple-overtime playoff game might force a delay of the Clippers Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, or even force a postponement to Monday.

The Coyotes avoided all overtimes – and all celebrations.

Notes

Martin Hanzal returned to the Coyotes lineup after sitting out Game 3 under suspension for boarding Brown. Veteran D Adrian Aucoin also returned for Phoenix after missing the series first three games with an injury. Aucoin went to the dressing room in the third period, but the Coyotes made no injury announcement. Several Kings greats watched the game together in a luxury suite, including Rogie Vachon, Butch Goring, Glen Murray and Ian Turnbull. Rainn Wilson, Matthew Perry and David Beckham attended the game.

Lundqvist shuts out Devils; Rangers lead Eastern Conference finals 2-1

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:47:11 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 19, 2012

“You know sooner or later its going to turn,” he said. “Its going to turn in our favor.”

Rangers-Devils: Game 3 Analysis Adam Gretz
The Devils have a H advantage, New York Related links Prust to have dsciplinary hearing Sunday Prust calls elbow an accident Rangers Kreider sets goal record Stubits: Torts brief talks all the rage Team pages: Rangers | Devils Series news and notes Playoffs schedule, results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter | Facebook

Unlike those dozens of Devils shots, his feeling was right on the mark.

Lundqvist had 36 saves and Dan Girardi, Chris Kreider and Ryan Callahan scored third-period goals to lead the Rangers to a 3-0 win over the Devils in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday.

Girardi and Kreider scored goals only 1 minute, 57 seconds apart early in the third to seize the momentum in a packed building with fans of both teams at a fever pitch, and give New York a 2-1 series lead. Indeed it was a quick span the Devils may long regret, especially after they dominated long stretches of Game 3.

“We played a real good hockey game,” Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. “We lost. We gotta find a way to score a goal.”

The Rangers did, and they did so in a stretch that would compare to some of coach John Tortorellas short and not-so-sweet news conferences. But Tortorella abandoned his normally terse responses to praise his goalie after the win.

“He a great competitor,” Tortorella said, “as far as his preparation and as far as what he does for this hockey club.”

Lundqvist was busy from the opening faceoff en route to his second shutout of the series and third in the postseason. Callahan iced it with an empty-netter late in third.

Game 4 is Monday in New Jersey.

Not even playing on home ice, where they had won four straight, was enough to help New Jersey. The Rangers have won every Game 1, lost each Game 2, and rebounded to win Game 3 in every round this postseason. Both of the preceding series, of course, saw them win the all-important last one: Game 7.

Kreider, a rookie called up during Round 1 vs. Ottawa, has scored in every game of this series.

“Id trade that for three wins,” Kreider said. “Im worried about the next one.”

Lundqvist was fantastic as he showed again why he led the Rangers to an Eastern Conference-high 109 points. He stoned Adam Henrique on a nice backhander late in the second period to keep it scoreless entering the third, setting the stage for New Yorks late magic.

He also toyed with Ilya Kovalchuk all game and stopped him on a nice breakaway in the second. Kovalchuk, who scored in Game 2, couldnt get on track and neither could the rest of the Devils.

Especially not with the way Lundqvist shined in net.

“I was a little lucky today, a couple times where I made the first move I still ended up making the save,” he said. “Thats not going to happen all the time. So you need some luck sometimes. I always say you earn your luck by working hard.

“But today was a good day.”

The Rangers opened the third ready to go against Martin Brodeur and found a way to give Lundqvist a needed cushion.

With New Jerseys Bryce Salvador in the penalty box, Girardi pushed a slow wrist shot past Brodeurs glove side, off a faceoff win by Brad Richards. Brodeur could have easily stopped the point-blank shot, especially with no traffic in front of the net.

“I thought the biggest play there was the faceoff win,” Tortorella said of Richards play. “We struggled a little bit there on our power play.”

Ryan McDonagh then wristed a shot along the ice toward Brodeur that got through to the crease, eventually being deflected by Kreider and around a prone Brodeur. New Jerseys Marek Zidlicky was out of position at the faceoff circle, when Kreider sneaked in behind him and poked it in.

“I was just trying to get to the net,” he said. “It was a great shot and found my stick.”

The Devils kept up the pressure the rest of the way, but got nowhere with an ineffective 0-for-5 power play. And as they skated off dejectedly toward their locker room, they could only look back and wonder how they came up empty with so many shots on Lundqvist.

“Its not like we didnt create anything,” New Jerseys Patrik Elias said. “They didnt block everything, they did hard.”

New Jersey spent most of the game sticking it to the Rangers all over the ice. The Devils dominated and outshot the Rangers 26-14 through the first two periods.

In the second period, New Yorks Brandon Prust threw a hard right elbow into the back of Anton Volchenkovs head that knocked the defenseman down in a heap. No penalty was called and the crowd howled in protest. DeBoer was furious at the non-call and was yelling on the bench as he looked up at the replay overhead. Volchenkov eventually got to his feet and later returned to the ice.

“Headhunting,” DeBoer said, stealing Tortorellas tone for an answer or two. “Plain and simple.”

Lundqvist was at his best in the third, snaring Kovalchuks one-timer to turn away any attempt at a late Devils rally.

“Hes been the backbone of our team for a long time now,” Girardi said. “Hes making huge saves.”

The Devils pulled Brodeur with 2:33 left and that backfired only 10 seconds later when Callahan knocked in an easy look that bounced off the back boards. The three-goal cushion allowed the Rangers fans in attendance to boast a bit as their rivals struggled. “Lets go Ran-gers” chants were prevalent, as were derogatory “Mar-ty” chants toward the Devils veteran netminder.

Brodeur shrugged off the chants.

“Its momentum off the way we play that dictates how our crowd is going to be in our building, because there are a lot of Rangers fans coming over,” Brodeur said. “They are the ones, I guess, with the money and they are sitting right beside us, too.

“Its not new for us.”

Losing at home, though, is. The Devils, after all, had won four straight postseason games at The Rock.

That streak is history. Thanks to the man the Rangers call “Hank.”

Notes

The Rangers scratched D Stu Bickel, who had played all 16 postseason games, and replaced him with D Steve Eminger. Eminger played his second game. This is the only game in the East finals with two days off leading up to it. From Game 4 on, the series will resume every other day. Rock star and New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi was at the game and was shown on the Jumbotron in the second period. Elias took a stick to the face in the first period and went to the locker room. He later returned.

Kings make it three for three against Coyotes, take control of series

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:47:23 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 17, 2012

Their answer told Brown that this unbelievable bunch of Kings is almost ready to play for the Stanley Cup.

Anze Kopitar scored the tying breakaway goal just 2:07 later, Dwight King added the winner early in the third period and the Kings rolled to the brink of their first Stanley Cup Final in 19 years with a 2-1 victory over the Coyotes in Game 3 on Thursday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the West finals.

Quick made 18 saves, and the eighth-seeded Kings improved to 11-1 in an undeniably charmed run through the NHL postseason by a franchise with 44 seasons of frustrating, Cup-free history.

For the third straight series, the Wests final playoff team will play for a sweep in Game 4 on Sunday.

More on Kings-Coyotes Analysis Adam Gretz
Kings lead series 3-0, continue to roll through Western playoffs Tippett unhappy with officiating Team pages: Kings | Coyotes TV Schedule and results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter| Facebook

“Phoenix was a lot better tonight, but we found a way to win,” Brown said. “Thats what it takes this time of year. Its exciting. Theres a lot of guys in here that havent experienced this … but the thing thats made this work is how were handling all this. Were up 3-0 again.”

Although the Kings trailed for the first time in nearly 18 periods since April 28, they bounced back swiftly before largely controlling the third period. King scored his fourth goal in three games against the Coyotes, who face a deficit only three teams have overcome in NHL playoff history.

King connected 1:47 into the third, beating Mike Smith high to the glove side. The massive rookie scored two goals in the series opener and added the winner in Game 2.

“Everybody is answering the challenge and being better,” said King, who has outscored the Coyotes all by himself in the series. “Were playing good, playing consistent. With the way were going, were tough to beat right now.”

Smith stopped 26 shots in a standout performance for the third-seeded Coyotes, who must win four straight to reach their first Stanley Cup Final in club history.

“None of us planned on being in [a 3-0 hole],” Phoenix captain Shane Doan said. “I dont think its disbelief, but I think its disappointed.”

In front of a long-suffering crowd gratefully enjoying its unexpected good fortune after decades of disappointment, the Kings dominated the third period in front of Quick. They forechecked relentlessly in the final minutes, forcing Smith to play a long stretch without his goal stick because Phoenix couldnt clear the zone so he could retrieve it.

The crowd soaked in another memorable performance during the best playoff run by this Second Six franchise since Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille led Los Angeles to its only conference title in 1993, while the Coyotes wondered if their own remarkable postseason run has any chance of continuing beyond Sunday.

“We want to play with a lead, but we didnt even have a chance,” Phoenixs Mikkel Boedker said. “They got a breakaway and came right back. … Theyre a good team, and we know that, but the series isnt over. We still have time to win it.”

Los Angeles largely dominated the first two games of the series in Glendale, outshooting the Coyotes 88-51 while winning by a combined 8-2. Phoenix had no more luck than Vancouver or St. Louis against the surprising No. 8 seeds, who finished two points behind the Pacific Division champion Coyotes in the regular season before steamrolling the Wests top two teams in a combined nine games.

“Well take a couple of days here and rest up, and what have we got to lose?” Phoenix coach Dave Tippett asked. “Well come here and play as hard as we can. Well give a real honest evaluation of who we are and how we got here.”

Phoenix played Game 3 without forward Martin Hanzal, who served a one-game suspension for boarding Brown in Game 3. Doan, who escaped suspension for his own hit, took up the job of agitating Brown, facewashing the Kings high-scoring captain with his glove during one scrum.

After Smith came up with several stellar saves during a scoreless first period, Keith Yandle slipped a long pass behind Mike Richards to Langkow, who beat Quick between the legs for his first goal of the postseason 1:03 into the second. Los Angeles hadnt trailed since the first period of Game 1 in its second-round series with St. Louis 19 days ago.

Staples Center briefly fell silent, but reached full roar moments later when Brown found Kopitar with a long pass behind the Phoenix defense. The Slovenian star beat Smith with a backhand for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

The teams were even in goals and shots heading to the third period, but King quickly put Los Angeles ahead with the latest impressive play of his incredible first NHL playoff run. Moments after Smith made a spectacular point-blank save on Stoll, King collected the puck during a delayed penalty and wired a high shot past Smiths glove into the top corner of the net.

“What a shot, and an even better look on his face when he saw where it went,” Stoll said.

Tippett didnt love the call that created the delayed penalty.

“If I told you what I really thought [about the officiating], I think it would cost me a lot of money,” he said.

Phoenix responded to its deficit with more physical play in Game 3, although keeping most of it within legal limits after the borderline goonery of the Game 2 blowout. The Coyotes inserted enforcer Paul Bissonnette into their lineup for the first time since Game 4 of the opening round.

Notes

The game was the first of six playoff contests in four days at Staples Center, where the NBAs Lakers and Clippers will host back-to-back second-round p also finishes outside the arena about 30 minutes before the puck drops on Game 4 Sunday. Marc-Antoine Pouliot took Hanzals spot in the Coyotes lineup, and Bissonnette replaced Gilbert Brule. D Adrian Aucoin has missed the entire series with an injury. The Kings have won seven straight road games, and they stuck with coach Darryl Sutters scheme to keep the road vibe at home by staying in a hotel across the street from Staples Center on Wednesday night. USC QB Matt Barkley attended the game.

Rangers surge in third period, shut out Devils in Game 1

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:47:12 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 14, 2012

If any proof was needed, Henrik Lundqvist provided it with a shutout victory over the well-rested New Jersey Devils in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.

Lundqvist made 21 saves in his fifth career playoff shutout. Rookie Chris Kreider, defenseman Dan Girardi, and Artem Anisimov all had a goal and an assist in the third period as the Rangers turned a scoreless game into a 3-0 win. It came two days after New York outlasted the pesky Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the second-round series.

“I dont know where you guys get all this stuff about being tired,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “If were tired this time of the year, theres something the matter. We still have a month to play. You might as well not even ask me questions about being tired.”

More on Devils-Rangers Stubits: Rangers come alive late Brodeur makes diving save in loss Team pages: Devils | Rangers TV Schedule and results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter| Facebook

The Rangers said during their one day off before facing the Devils that they liked the rhythm of playing every other day, and didnt think the quick turnaround would affect them. The Devils, however, had been off for five days since they knocked out the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.

“Its always tough to come from a Game 7. So emotional, and everything around it, and then start over,” Lundqvist said. “[Sunday] was all about regrouping, and move your focus to a new team and just a different type of game.

“I didnt really know what to expect from this game, honestly.”

No team forced to play seven-game series in each of the first two rounds has gone on to win the Stanley Cup, but the Rangers are determined to be the first. The Rangers slogged through two scoreless periods and pulled out a win with a dominating third period.

The Rangers are in the conference finals for the first time since 1997, and they havent reached the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994, when they beat 22-year-old goalie Martin Brodeur and the Devils in a classic seven-game series that backed up captain Mark Messiers guarantee.

Brodeur and the Devils are making their first conference finals appearance since 2003, the year they won the Cup for the third time.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in New York.

Girardi, who struggled at times with his defensive duties, got a perfect setup from Kreider and scored 53 seconds into the third period. Playing in just his 13th NHL game, all in these playoffs, Kreider sent a pass back from the right circle in the Devils zone to the point. Girardi took long strides as he charged up ice and stepped into a shot that ripped through a screen in front by teammate Derek Stepan.

“I saw [Kreider] coming up the wall, and I was delaying to see what he was going to do,” Girardi said. “I saw no one go to the point, and I kind of stepped into it and got it through.”

The shot beat Brodeur for Girardis second playoff goal this season and second in 47 career postseason games. It was a drive Brodeur said he never saw.

“We didnt finish Kreider down the board,” Brodeur said. “We didnt close him out and get him off of the puck. Nobody went to him, probably a miscommunication, and he was able to lay a puck to Girardi and for a bomb.”

The other assist went to 21-year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who along with Kreider was only 3 when these teams last met in the conference finals in `94.

Girardi also earned a secondary assist on Kreiders power-play goal with eight minutes remaining that made it 2-0. New Yorks slumping power play connected after Girardi was drilled hard from behind into the boards by Devils forward Steve Bernier.

Anisimov, who also assisted on Kreiders goal, scored into an empty net to make it 3-0 with 1:27 left.

Brodeur heard sing-song chants of “Mar-ty, Mar-ty” before the game started. Those got much louder after Girardis goal, and even more taunting after Kreider scored as the blue-shirt wearing, towel-waving fans excitement grew. Brodeur finished with 25 saves.

Lundqvist showed no signs of fatigue and was solid throughou helped by 26 blocked shots by his teammates.

“Hank is huge for us back there,” Girardi said. “We were struggling a little bit in our defensive zone and he was there to bail us out. Thats what happened. He made some big saves, and in the third period we came out hard and got a couple of goals for him.”

To no ones surprise, the teams were still tied heading into the final frame, but not because of a lack of chances.

Lundqvist was sharp in turning aside pucks that sneaked through the wall of teammates that blocked so many shots. He was at his best while the Rangers were on a power play late in the second period.

Zach Parise had the puck to the left of the net and snapped off a forehand that Lundqvist blocked. Parise got another whack at the rebound, and was again denied. Given one more chance with a backhander, Parise failed to break the deadlock with a short-handed goal.

“I tried to go 5-hole on the first one and it just kept popping back to me,” Parise said. “I tried to go up, and he made the save. It came back, and I tried to go high, and he made another save. It was unfortunate. It was a few of those opportunities we had. We just didnt capitalize.”

It wasnt the first bit of frustration in the series opener for the Devils captain. Parise was caught from behind by hard-charging defenseman Ryan McDonagh to thwart a first-period breakaway before Parise could get a shot on Lundqvist

McDonagh made the most of his 22-year-old legs, and showed no signs of fatigue from 14 previous playoff games this season, when he also chased down Ilya Kovalchuk in the first period. Lundqvist made a stop at the end of the charge.

The Devils also peppered Lundqvist in the opening minutes of the second period. Lundqvist fought to see between a maze of players and even gave a shove to the back of teammate Anton Stralman, trying to move the defenseman out of his line of sight.

Brodeur also was sharp at the other end, even shaking off a collision with teammate Marek Zidlicky, who got tangled with Rangers forward Brandon Prust. Brodeurs mask was knocked off after the whistle.

Notes

The Rangers held an 18-17 edge in shots through 40 minutes, but New York also blocked 18 other Devils attempts. Brodeur, who has 24 postseason shutouts, made his 183rd consecutive playoff start for the Devils. He is the only player from the 1994 series still in the NHL. Kreider, who made his debut on April 16 at Ottawa after winning the NCAA championship with Boston College, has three goals in the playoffs.

Kings take Game 1 against Coyotes, stay perfect on road in playoffs

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:47:13 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 13, 2012

The way the Kings dominated the rest of the game, not to mention how theyve played on the road in the playoffs, those two slipups certainly werent going to derail their bid to take home-ice advantage from the Phoenix Coyotes.

Overwhelming Phoenix from the start, the Kings overcome a couple of rare miscues by goalie Jonathan Quick to open the Western Conference finals with a 4-2 victory over the Coyotes on Sunday night to remain unbeaten on the road in the playoffs.

Quick rebounded from his mistakes with some big saves in Phoenixs closing flurry and Dwight King scored his second goal into an empty net in the final minute, giving Los Angeles its sixth straight road playoff victory, one short of the NHL record for a single postseason. They also won their final two road playoff games last year.

“We all know on our team that wasnt going to beat us,” Kings center Jarret Stoll said. “Thats just the way we played.”

More on Kings-Coyotes Stubits: Kings dominate on road Kings Quick beat at center ice Perfect storm descends on Staples Center Team pages: Kings | Coyotes TV Schedule and results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter| Facebook

With a week off after sweeping St. Louis in the second round, the Kings were far from rusty, dominating the Coyotes early. Los Angeles controlled the puck for long stretches of the first period to set up Anze Kopitars goal 4 minutes in on the way to their sixth straight victory.

Phoenix rallied to tie twice, the first one on a shot by Derek Morris that surprised Quick from the red line, but the Kings kept coming.

Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist, King had his first career two-goal game and Los Angeles outshot Phoenix 48-27.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in the desert.

“One of those things where at this time of year you got to just stick with the game plan, execute, things will fall into place if you work hard,” Brown and werent quite as sharp.

On their heels from the start, they were outshot 17-4 in the first period and, despite twice tying the game, were fortunate it was close.

Morris had his surprising goal and Mikkel Boedker had another tying goal in the second period, but the Coyotes were outplayed pretty much the rest of the way to trail in a series for the first time this year.

“Their whole team was better than our team,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. “We werent close in that game. We got beat in every facet of the game. Hopefully, we take some lessons from it and get better for the next game.”

This was the Western Conference finals few expected.

The Coyotes werent picked to even make the playoffs, entering the season with an unproven No. 1 goalie and no owner for the third straight year.

Grinding and relying on Mike Smiths breakout season in goal, the Coyotes won their first division title as an NHL franchise and beat Chicago and Nashville, two supposedly better teams, in the first two rounds to make their inaugural appearance in the conference finals.

The Kings had expectations, but didnt quite live up to them.

Los Angeles was among the NHLs worst-scoring teams all season, costing coach Terry Murray his job in December, and squeaked into the playoffs as the last team in the West behind Quicks stellar season.

The Kings, too, were underdogs in the playoffs and didnt seem to mind, racing through Vancouver and St. Louis to reach the conference finals for the first time since 1993 and become the first No. 8 seed to knock off the top two teams in the same playoffs.

That set up what figured to be a testy series between Pacific Division rivals.

The Coyotes and Kings know each other well, playing six times every season, a familiarity thats led to some brutality, including a fight between captains Shane Doan and Brown in February.

Playing for a spot in the Stanley Cup finals, it didnt figure to let up any.

Game 1 was plenty testy, with multiple scrums, hard hits and a roughing penalty a trend that continued throughout the game.

“Weve played these guys a lot over the years and this time of year, you do whatever you can do to get an edge,” Brown said.

The Kings had it against Phoenix early, swarming to Coyotes while getting the games first eight shots. Kopitar scored his fourth goal of the playoffs early on, scooping up a loose puck in front before flipping a backhander past Smiths glove Morris caught everyone off-guard, particularly Quick, by ripping a slap shot from the red (center) line past the Vezina Trophy finalist. That tied it at 1 and left Kings coach Darryl Sutter smirking in disbelief on the bench.

“Its a rare bad goal against them,” Sutter said. “Our team was resilient enough just to play through it.”

They sure did.

Los Angeles kept up the pressure in the second, setting up Kings rebound goal on a 2-on-1 with Mike Richards midway through.

As they have all postseason, the Coyotes answered, scoring with just under 2 minutes left in the period. Boedker got the goal, one-timing a pass from Doan after Antoine Vermette won a battle behind the goal and Quick had to scramble back to the crease.

Brown put the Kings up 3-2 early in the third period, beating Smith stick side on a mini breakaway for his seventh goal of the playoffs after a long, right-on-the-tape pass from Slava Voynov.

The Coyotes had been resilient throughout the playoffs, snatching a few wins after being outplayed.

They had no answer this time, unable to get a puck past Quick in their closing flurry before giving up Kings empty-netter with less than a minute left.

“They played better than us,” Doan said. “They beat us in all kind of different areas. It is frustrating when you get beat, disappointing when you get beat. It is no good especially when you dont play as well as you can.”

They better figure it out quick or it could be a short series against the hottest team in the playoffs.

Notes

Coyotes D Adrian Aucoin didnt play after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Game 5 against Nashville. Kopitar has seven points his past four games. The Kings have won eight of 14 playoff series after taking Game 1. Los Angeles has killed off 24 straight penalties after holding Phoenix scoreless in five tries.

Devils finish off Flyers, advance to Eastern finals for first time since 2003

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:47:12 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 8, 2012

Flash forward a year later. The cheering and hollering from behind closed doors in the Devils locker room could be heard way down the Wells Fargo Center hallway. Days after he turned 40, Brodeur has the Devils back where theyve been six other times before in their 30-year history.

The Eastern Conference Finals.

Bryce Salvador, David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk scored goals to lift New Jersey to a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 on Tuesday, sending the Devils into the conference championship round for the first time since 2003.

The Devils await the winner of the New York-Washington series, which the Rangers lead, 3-2. New Jersey rebounded this season under coach Peter DeBoer in his first season on New Jerseys bench after the franchise suffered one of its worst years since general manager Lou Lamoriello took over in 1987.

Brodeur had 27 saves and the Devils hope they can ride him all the way to June one more time.

More on Flyers-Devils Analysis Adam Gretz
Devils roll past Flyers into Eastern Conference finals Kovalchuk in first conference finals Bryzgalov makes bad clearing attempt Game 5 starts with some big hits Team pages: Flyers | DevilsSeries News and Notes TV Schedule and results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter | Facebook

“It seems forever for a lot of guys,” Brodeur said. “Its tough to do that. Were fortunate to have made it there so far.”

The sixth-seeded Devils scored twice in the first period and became the first East team to win four straight games in these playoffs.

“It was just sticking with the game plan and doing what it takes to be successful,” DeBoer said. “Marty made some saves when he needed to, and we held on.”

Maxime Talbot scored for the Flyers, but Philadelphia was eliminated in the conference semifinals for the second straight season. The Flyers finished the season without suspended All-Star forward Claude Giroux because of his illegal check to the head on New Jersey center Dainius Zubrus in Game 4.

“It should have been a tighter series,” Giroux said, wearing a suit.

The Flyers underwent a facelift last summer that saw them trade team captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings and acquire goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Kings and Coyotes will play in the West finals while the Flyers watch from home.

The Flyers again failed in the postseason to hold a quick lead after Talbot scored in the first. Meanwhile, the Devils survived a rugged series of hits unleashed by a frustrated Flyers team that failed to build anything off the surprising first-round victory over Pittsburgh. Anton Volchenkov, Marek Zidlicky and Zubrus all suffered punishing hits that knocked them down to the ice in Game 5.

Bryzgalov had a disheartening end to an erratic first season in Philadelphia. He allowed two YouTube-worthy goals like only he can. Salvador unleashed a shot from outside the circle that skipped along the ice as if he threw a rock across a pond and sailed high over Bryzgalov for the tying goal.

In a season loaded with head-scratching tallies allowed, Bryzgalov saved the weirdest for the finale. Clarksons dump-in was pushed by Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen toward the goaltender. Instead of controlling it, wrapping it around the boards or even just covering it, Bryzgalov pushed it right back toward a charging Clarkson, whose stick grazed the puck as it slid through the netminder and past the line.

“I honestly had no idea it went in until I heard the crowd yelling,” Clarkson said. “Just to be on the forecheck when that went in is an unbelievable feeling.”

The Devils could have credited Bryzgalov with an assist on that goal.

“I was just trying to pressure him to make a play,” Clarkson said. “I had no idea it was in until the crowd starting booing. Its a goal Ill take any day.”

Kovalchuk fired a liner from the high slot after the Devils won the faceoff to make it 3-1 in the third to seal the win. From there, New Jerseys depth took over and stuffed any hope of a home team rally.

“The fact that we have four lines and roll six defensemen really helps,” DeBoer said. “Its a team game. We play that way, and guys really believe in what were doing. But thats a good team we just beat over there, and we have a long way to go.”

All the inspirational “Rocky” clips on their highlight reel couldnt inspire the Flyers. Even Girouxs presence may not have even mattered in Game 5. Without their leading scorer, the Flyers tried to knock around the Devils with a series of both clean and questionable hits.

Zac Rinaldo stayed on his skates when he charged full speed with his right shoulder and crushed Volchenkov against the boards. Volchenkov was down on his knees for several minutes before he gingerly walked to the bench.

“Thats my bread and butter right there,” Rinaldo said. “Thats what I feed off of and thats what gets the boys going.”

But the hit sparked just a short dose of momentum. Talbot won a fight for the puck in front of the crease to score moments later for a 1-0 lead. But that was it for the Flyers offense. Brodeur snared a Talbot slapper late in the period for one of his 27 saves.

Rinaldo delivered a stiff knee to Zubrus in the second. Wayne Simmonds creamed Zidlicky in the corner that left the defenseman sprawled on the ice.

The hits meant nothing more than a brief roar from the crowd, though. Late much like their team. The Flyers havent won the Stanley Cup since snaring consecutive championships in 1974 and 1975.

“Its hard right now,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. “I can tell you that the group that is in that room right now is a terrific group of men. They play hard and they have a bright future.”

The Devils have won six of seven and believe they have another title run in them. This is the third time in franchise history New Jersey has defeated Philadelphia in the postseason. The previous two times (1995 and 2000), the Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Brodeur has gone from answering questions about retirement to ones about another chase for the Cup. He has been in net for all three of New Jerseys titles, including 2003, the franchises last one.

With t Jacques Lemai the Devils went 38-39-5, and finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with just 81 points. Taking out the lockout-shortened 1995 season, that was the franchises lowest point total since 1990-91 (79).

Brodeur came on board the next season.

“I dont think he was ever a guy that was going to retire,” Clarkson said. “Hes won us some games in the playoffs. Hes held us in. Hes exciting to watch.”

Notes

The Devils are 22-16 in Game 5s. Flyers D Andrej Meszaros (back) played for the first time since March 1. DeBoer is now 2-0 in playoff series this season after never having won a postseason round before as a coach. The Flyers, swept by Boston in Round 2 last season, are now 1-8 in their last nine Eastern Conference semifinals games. Even with the loss, Flyers F Jaromir Jagr loved his first season in Philadelphia. “I loved everybody on this team. This was probably the most enjoyable year I ever had.”

Rangers lead Caps 3-2 with OT win

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:47:13 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 7, 2012

And even the most optimistic New York Rangers fan couldnt have seen this one coming.

Brad Richards scored the unlikeliest of power-play goals with just 7.6 seconds left in regulation, and Marc Staal added another one on the second half of the advantage in overtime to lift New York to a stunning 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.

“The last minute was incredible,” Staal said. and facing the prospect of the Rangers somehow cured their ailing power play and rode it to one of the most thrilling wins in team history.

“We knew we had a power play going into overtime and we wanted to get one and be quick,” Staal said. “Thats what we ended up doing.”

The defenseman made sure that Richards tying goal wouldnt go to waste when he scored 1:35 into overtime.

“Its a kick in the gut when you lose because it happens so quickly, and its pretty exciting when you win because it happens quick,” New York coach John Tortorella said.

The Rangers overcame a 3-2 series deficit in the first round against Ottawa, just the second time in 18 tries they have pulled off the feat, and were looking at having to do it all over again. Now one win in the next two games will put New York in the conference finals for the first time since 1997.

With goalie Henrik Lundqvist pulled for an extra attacker, Washingtons Joel Ward took a four-minute penalty for high-sticking Carl Hagelin with 21.3 seconds left. Richards tied it on the first half of the power play, and Staal won it with a drive that appeared to deflect off a Washington player before beating goalie Braden Holtby.

Ward was the first-round hero for the Capitals, scoring the winning goal in overtime in Game 7 to knock out the Boston Bruins. Now, he hopes he will have the chance to redeem himself.

“This definitely stings,” he said. “It was a hard-fought battle. Its tough when you let the team down on a play like that.”

But his coach and teammates raced to his defense, and tried to take the blame and spotlight away from him.

“It was an accident,” Capitals coach Dale Hunter said. “Those are the breaks of hockey. It accidentally came up. Its just a hockey play.

“You dont overanalyze it. You just go play. Well battle again like we did the whole series and the series before.”

The top-seeded Rangers can advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a win Wednesday in Washington. If necessary, Game 7 would be back in New York on Saturday.

“Nobody thinks we are going to lose it easily,” Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said. “Its not over yet. Were going home to play at our house. Well come back here.”

With the crowd still buzzing over the shocking tying goal, a din that held up through the long intermission, John Mitchell won a faceoff in the Capitals end to start the winning play. Staal corralled the puck at the right point, glided to the center of the zone, and fired the drive that set off a wild celebration on the ice and in the seats.

“We just kept trying to come at them,” Staal said. “It wasnt a set play or anything off the draw. Just a good clean draw, and guys went to the net, and [Holtby] couldnt see it.”

The Rangers mobbed each other at center ice as the crushed Capitals trudged toward the tunnel to their dressing room. Then, the New York players raised their sticks to the crowd as red, white and blue streamers cascaded down from the rooftop.

The celebration, that culminated in fireworks as the three stars of the game were announced, seemed almost inevitable after Richards tied it. After no success with traditional 5-on-4 power plays, the Rangers made the most of their 6-on-4 edge as Lundqvist watched from the bench.

“You could tell when games are getting tighter, more important, he plays better,” Lundqvist said of Richards. “I think he likes the intensity in games like that. It just shows what type of player he really is.”

Michael Del Zotto took a shot that hit traffic in front to the right of Holtby. Ryan Callahan took two or three hard whacks at the loose puck, but couldnt get it forward. Richards jammed his stick into the maze of legs and poked the puck past Holtby just before he was able to cover it with his glove.

John Carlson, who had given the Capitals a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal in the third period, couldnt keep the puck out, either, after he got in behind Holtby as a last line of defense.

“You have to believe you can do it,” Lundqvist said of the comeback. “It was tough for us to get in front and create real good scoring chances, but we were shooting a lot and had a lot of energy. We definitely deserved this win. We worked so hard.”

Anton Stralman staked the Rangers to a 1-0 lead during a dominant first period for New York, but Brooks Laich answered for the Capitals in the second.

Carlson then snapped the 1-1 tie 4:20 into the third with the goal that appeared to put the seventh-seeded Capitals on the brink of knocking out the top-seeded Rangers.

It would have marked the second straight game that Washington used a man-advantage goal from a defenseman to earn a victory, but instead the Rangers won their second of the series in overtime.

The Capitals, 0-5 in the playoffs when their opponent scores first, were fortunate to even be in position to win as they were outshot 38-18 overall by the Rangers.

“We have to put it behind us,” Holtby said. “Its a tough loss, obviously. Its the way hockey goes sometimes.”

Washington woke up a bit in the second period and got even, despite recording only six shots on Lundqvist. However, that was two more than the Capitals generated in the first.

The Rangers held a 26-10 edge in shots in the first 40 minutes, but had only a 1-1 tie to show for it heading into the tense third period.

The Capitals tied it in the second after gaining control of the puck following a faceoff in the Rangers end. Ovechkin, who heard even more boos than usual from the Garden crowd, sent a pass from the side boards to the right of Lundqvist that bounced off Rangers forward Brian Boyle. The puck came right to Laich in the slot for a hard drive that beat Lundqvist inside the right post to make it 1-1 at 8:15.

New York had numerous chances to extend its lead or get back in front before Washington tied it, but the Rangers power play continued to struggle and looked disorganized.

The Rangers had been 2 for 16 on the power play in the series before Wards penalty changed everything.

Notes

Stral in the Rangers first-round series win over Ottawa. Washington is 6-1 in the playoffs when it scores first. The Capitals are 3 for 16 on the power play in the series. The Rangers won Game 3 in triple overtime 2-1.

Capitals rebound, level series with Rangers

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:47:12 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 5, 2012

These days, the Capitals are succeeding in the playoffs with a more conservative, defensive-minded style – and it still never hurts when the best of the best put the puck in the net.

Defenseman Greens slap shot on a power play with 5:48 left in regulation was the go-ahead goal, and Ovechkin and Backstrom scored Saturday, too, lifting the Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the top-seeded New York Rangers that tied their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.

When the bygone marketing tag was mentioned in the loud Capitals locker room afterward, the 26-year-old Green repeated the reporters words, saying with a wry smirk: “`Young Guns? Not so young anymore. But we needed to step up.”

More on Rangers-Capitals Analysis Brian Stubits
The Capitals got key plays from key players to knock off the Rangers in Game 4, tie series Team pages: Rangers | Caps Series news and notes Playoff s major or minor? More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter| Facebook

According to STATS LL that Ovechkin, Backstrom and Green scored in the same game, but first in any postseason. Washingtons record in those games? Not surprisingly, 13-0. That trio last tallied together on Oct. 30, 2010, STATS said.

“People have been talking about [how] we need to step up,” said Backstrom, who missed 40 games in the regular season with a concussion and hadnt scored since Game 2 of the opening round against Boston. “If you work hard, good things happen to you, somebody told me.”

Ovechkin made it 1-0 about 12½ minutes into the game with a 40-foot slap shot after Rangers rookie Chris Kreider accidentally sent the puck to the two-time NHL MVPs stick. In the second period, Ovechkins skates left the ice as he delivered a high hit to defenseman Dan Girardi, a play that resulted in a charging penalty against the Russian wing and could draw attention from the league office.

“My heads kind of there,” Girardi said, “and he hits it.”

Ovechkin, treated for a bloody upper lip in the third period, said he was trying to protect himself and thought he caught Girardi in the shoulder, not the head.

Capitals coach Dale Hunter offered this analysis: “It was incidental contact, where both of them were looking down and they hit each other.”

Rangers coach John Tortorellas take? Who knows? He declined to answer a general question about the officiating and walked out of his news conference after about 30 seconds.

On the go-ahead goal, Rangers captain Ryan Callahan got knocked down along the boards and lost the puck, which went to Capitals defenseman Dennis Wideman. He slid the puck over to a wide-open Green, who slammed into the glass after releasing his shot from the right circle.

“I didnt see the puck,” Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “I was pretty much just guessing where it was going.”

It allowed the No. 7-seeded Capitals to make a much-needed recovery from what could have been a demoralizing defeat: The Rangers won Game 3 in triple overtime.

“If we lost this one, wed be down 3-1, going back there [to New York]. So the guys knew what was at stake,” Hunter said, “and they came out with a big first [period], a big push. We generated a lot of offense.”

Well, relatively speaking.

The Rangers host Game 5 on Monday night, with Game 6 at Washington on Wednesday.

Artem Anisimov had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. New Yorks other goal came from Marian Gaborik, who scored the Game 3 winner after nearly 115 minutes. The teams had two days off to rest and recuperate from that marathon, which began Wednesday night and finished after midnight. The Rangers 2-1 victory in that game might have given them control of the series.

But anyone counting out the Capitals must have forgotten that they havent lost two games in a row since March 22-23. Or that they also trailed 2-1 in the first round, before eliminating the reigning NHL champion Bruins in seven games. Then theres this: The Capitals are 3-0 following OT losses this postseason.

Theyre also growing quite accustomed to playing tight ones: 10 of their 11 playoff games have been decided by one goal, and only once has Washington scored as many as four. Its quite a long way from when they were winning playoff games by scores of 4-0 or 5-3 – and, incidentally, never making it beyond the second round.

“Were a grinding team now. Our identity has kind of flipped. We try not to give up much defensively, keep pucks out of the middle and along the boards, and weve been successful with that,” forward Brooks Laich said. “Talking to friends and family, theyre sitting at home, biting their nails and pulling their hair out. Theyre just dying for a 4-0 or 5-0 win. But I keep telling them those days are gone a little bit.”

Indeed, the Capitals entered Saturday second in the postseason in blocked shots, behind only the Rangers, and the hosts compiled a 26-7 edge in that stat.

“The guys are committed,” said Hunter, who replaced the fired Bruce Boudreau in November.

The beneficiary was Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, who only needed to make 18 saves and didnt need to turn away a shot until nearly 5½ minutes into the game. By then, Washington had taken seven shots.

At the end of the first period, the Capitals had a 14-3 edge in shots. The final tally was 26-20 in Washingtons favor.

The biggest, of course, came off the stick of Green, who missed 50 games this season because of a right ankle injury, then abdominal surgery.

“Before he was injured a lot,” Backstrom noted, “we used to see that all the time.”

Notes

The Capitals are 6-1 this postseason when scoring first. Ovechkins goal was his 29th in the NHL playoffs, moving him one away from Peter Bondras team record.

Doan nets lone goal, Smith stops 25; Coyotes grab 3-1lead over Predators

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 19:47:10 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 4, 2012

Captain Shane Doan scored in the first period, Mike Smith made 25 saves and the Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 1-0 on Friday to grab a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series. It was the first win in the month of May in the franchises NHL history, and Phoenix can advance with a victory in Game 5 on Monday night in Arizona.

“To win like this is exciting because our goaltenders so good, and we know that we go as far as he takes us,” Doan said. “Hes been unbelievable in this and really solidifies how important he is and how good he is.”

Now the Coyotes, owned by the NHL, are 3-1 for the second straight series heading back home with the chance to advance. Chicago won Game 5 to put off elimination for a game, but Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said his message will not change.

More on Predators-Coyotes Analysis Adam Gretz
Predators coach Trotz opens himself to criticism after Game 4 loss and down 3-1 in series Hornqvist so close to goal, yet so far Radulov, Kostitsyn benched again Klesla avoids boarding major penalty Video: Ice girls clean up catfish Team pages: Predators | CoyotesSeries News and Notes TV Schedule and results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter | Facebook

“Its going to be the same kind of game,” Tippett said. “Very little space, very little advantages and youre going to have to compete hard and hopefully we can find a way to win a game.”

The Predators played without forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for the second straight game, this time the decision by coach Barry Trotz to stick with the lineup that won 2-0 on Wednesday night. Trotz said he refuses to second-guess his decision, though lineup changes are likely.

“Plain and simple, weve got to win a hockey game,” Trotz said. “That focus cant go any farther than that. Winning a hockey game, and its going to have to be in Phoenix. I know when youre down in a series 3-0, the numbers dont look good. At 3-1, a number of teams have come back.”

The Predators thought they tied it with 7:12 remaining. But officials waved off the power-play goal with the official explanation that a whistle blew before the puck crossed the line. Trotz said he didnt get an explanation with officials telling captain Shea Weber a different reason.

“They said that [Patric] Hornqvist pushed the goaltender into the net. If you look at it, I dont buy that,” Trotz said.

The Predators wound up outshooting Phoenix 25-24, but they had chances with the net open they simply missed with Radulov and Kostitsyn on the sideline.

Smith, the low-budget replacement for Ilya Bryzgalov after the Russian left the desert for a big contract with Philadelphia, credited his teammates with pressuring the Predators into making some bad shots.

“We were so aggressive,” Smith said. “We didnt give them much, kept them to the outside and when they did get opportunities we had stick on puck. We had guys lying down blocking shots. My D was tremendous tonight. They have been good all playoffs long, but this is one of the better games theyve played in front of me.”

Radulov leads Nashville with a team-high six points in the postseason, and Kostitsyn is tied for the team lead with three goals. Fans cheered the announcement that the two were scratched after they were suspended for Game 3 for an apparent curfew violation last weekend in Arizona.

Nashville had plenty of chances, outshooting Phoenix 10-5 in the third. The Predators even got a power play at 11:34 when Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris cleared the puck over the glass and went to the box. The Predators had a scrum in front of the net after Mike Fisher threw the puck at the net, but the official behind the net immediately waved no goal.

Phoenix improved to 4-1 on the road in the postseason, spoiling what had been a big party in Nashville with three blocks of Broadway shut down right in front of the arena. The Predators put two big TVs outside for fans to cheer but didnt give them much to yell about.

The Coyotes outskated and outshot Nashville from the start, coming with much more energy. They even got a power play 90 seconds in only to see the Predators kill that. Then Ryan Suter had a turnover near the net, and Coyotes left wing Mikkel Boedker had a chance on Pekka Rinne right in front before the 6-foot-5 Finn blocked it with his right pad.

Fans did their best to try and spark the Predators with their usual standing ovation through a timeout in the first period to a catfish tossed onto the ice early in the third. Nothing helped the Predators aim getting past Smith into the net.

“Their goalie was phenomenal tonight,” Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter said. “It was definitely the toughest game to get anything going.”

Nashville went 0 for 3 with the man advantage. The first came when Rostislav Klesla was penalized for boarding Predators forward Matt Halischuk right in front of the Coyotes bench. Replay showed Klesla appeared to grab Halischuks jersey before pushing him into the boards, and Halischuk went to the locker room briefly. But the Coyotes, perfect in killing penalties on the road this postseason, did it again.

Doan scored on a backhander as he skated across the slot with the puck going off the stick of Predators defenseman Roman Josi and over Rinnes right pad at 14:25 of the first.

The Predators came out with more energy in the second but struggled to get a shot on net. Hornqvist had Nashvilles best chance around the 6-minute mark when Smith came just out of the crease to handle the puck, and Hornqvist missed the net. The Predators struggled so much they couldnt even go on a 2-on-1 chance before being called for offsides later in the second.

With Smith in net, Doans goal proved to be enough with the way the Coyotes played in front of him. They blocked 10 of Nashvilles first 15 shots, and Smith either covered up or gloved the others.

Notes

The Winnipeg/Phoenix franchises last previous May game was May 20, 1979, when the Winnipeg Jets beat Edmonton 4-2 to win their third WHA title. The game was the last in WHA history. The Coyotes are 16 of 16 on the penalty kill on the road this postseason. The Predators are 0 for 23 on the power play at home.

Kings within game of sweeping Blues, advancing to Western Conference final

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:47:09 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 4, 2012

The eighth-seeded Kings are a team transformed, executing against St. Louis with all the precision, passion and consistency that eluded them for much of an erratic regular season.

And now these late bloomers are one win away from emerging in the Western Conference finals.

Drew Doughty had a goal and two assists, Jonathan Quick made 18 saves and the Kings moved to the brink of an unlikely second-round sweep with a 4-2 victory over the Blues in Game 3 on Thursday.

Mike Richards scored Los Angeles first power play goal in six games before setting up Doughtys clinching goal with 11:48 to play for the Kings, who methodically improved to 7-1 in the postseason with their third straight dominant win over second-seeded St. Louis.

“When you have success, you gain confidence, and weve been playing the same system and the same style for a while now,” Richards said. “Were maybe a little surprised its going like this, but we knew going into every game we have a chance to win.”

More on Kings-Blues Analysis Adam Gretz
Kings Mike Richards records Gordie Howe hat trick Team pages: Blues | KingsSeries News and Notes TV Schedule and results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter | Facebook

And they just keep doing it with remarkable efficiency and style. Los Angeles has four chances to clinch its first trip to the conference finals since 1993.

Game 4 is Sunday.

“Things are going well because guys are working hard,” said Justin Williams, who scored the Kings first goal shortly after Browns hit tilted the ice in Los Angeles favor. “Guys are paying the price and doing every little thing. Were certainly not looking ahead just yet, but weve fought hard to get this position, and now were one game away from getting to the conference championship.”

Rookie Dwight King also scored, while Anze Kopitar had two assists in just the Kings second home playoff victory in their last eight games at Staples Center. The Kings barely scraped into the playoffs last month, but after eliminating Presidents Trophy-winning Vancouver in the first round, they followed up two series-opening victories in St. Louis with another fundamentally sound effort in front of Quick.

“Theyre full marks,” St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. “Theyre on top of their game, and they have been for a while now.”

Chris Stewart scored two goals and Brian Elliott stopped 18 shots in a shaky performance for the Blues, who must accomplish the fourth comeback from an 0-3 deficit in NHL playoff history to advance.

Elliotts season-long tandem with Jaroslav Halak was wiped out by Halaks ankle injury in the first round, and Elliott hasnt looked comfortable alone in the spotlight. King, Richards and Doughty all scored on what appeared to be stoppable shots against Elliott, who dropped to 3-3 since replacing Halak while allowing nine goals on 43 shots in the last two games.

“With our team, there is no reason we should be down three games right now,” right wing Matt DAgostini said. “But we are the type of team that is very capable of coming back in this series. There is a lot of promise still in this room and we have a lot of belief in our guys and what we can do, so dont count us out just yet.”

The Blues put Pietrangelo back in their starting lineup after the star defenseman missed Game 2 with an injury resulting from King sending him into the boards hard in the series opener. Pietrangelo had an assist, but the Kings minimized his effectiveness.

“I think our bigger problem is stupid penalties,” Hitchcock said. “That takes us out of the 5-on-5, and that wastes energy because we use our best players to kill penalties. I would say they were more physical than we were.”

Richards second-period goal snapped an 0-for-30 drought for the Kings power play, and Los Angeles penalty killers kept St. Louis scoreless in 14 power plays in the series. Doughty, the Kings streaky $56 million defenseman, even added the first multipoint game of his playoff career.

The Kings are 5-0 away from Staples Center in the postseason, and they attempted to retain that road momentum by creating a road trip at home. The Kings staying in a hotel across the street Wednesday night and held their game-day skate at Staples Center, a rarity during the regular season. Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter took advantage of a three-day break between home playoff games for their two NBA co-tenants at Staples Center, the Lakers and Clippers.

After several near-misses in front of Elliott early, Williams scored his 13th career playoff goal when his wide shot across the crease hit Elliotts sprawling back leg and slid into the corner of the net.

Stewart evened it in the second with a remarkable individual effort against three Kings, backhanding a shot past Quick for his first goal of the playoffs. But just 40 seconds later, Matt Greene banked a long pass off the boards to King, and the 22-year-old beat Elliott to the far post for his first career playoff goal.

Los Angeles gained control again, and Richards put the Kings up 3-1 with a sharp-angled shot that somehow trickled through Elliott for his third goal of the postseason. The Blues went roughly 10 minutes without a shot spanning the second and third periods, but Stewart trimmed the Kings lead back to one goal by diving to tap home a rare loose rebound off Quick with 15:25 to play for his second career multigoal playoff game.

Richards then advanced the puck and made a drop pass to Doughty, whose fierce shot trickled underneath Elliott and rolled in.

Notes

Richards had a Gordie Howe hat trick after fighting Jamie Langenbrunner in the first period. Blues C Jason Arnott was scratched for the first time in the postseason. He missed practice Wednesday with a lower-body injury. St. Louis has rallied from an 0-2 playoff series deficit just once in 15 previous tries in franchise history. The Blues ca four years after the Blues and Kings joined the NHL together in 1967-68.