Princeton's Westgarth Wins Stanley Cup With LA Kings
LOS ANGELES—The Kings have been in the NHL since 1967, and have had to linger in the shadow of the Lakers, Dodgers, USC football, David Beckham and even the two-time WNBA champion Sparks on the Los Angeles sports scene. They have watched the Anaheim Ducks win California's first Stanley Cup, and seen other teams that were later entries to the league, from the New York Islanders to the Edmonton Oilers, make dynastic runs.
Unfortunately, the Kings have not been met with the same success as many other Los Angeles expansion teams or transplants. During the past half-century, they've managed only to win a single division championship and just one Stanley Cup. Both achievements took several decades to take place, having occurred only in the 2011-2012 season. Even so, the recent nature of those victories has boosted the team's morale and its ticket sales figures, and that means many new fans are looking for the right clothing and accessory choices for their needs.
This year, the Kings have used the European vacation as a springboard for success. They opened the season with a 3-2 win over the Rangers in Stockholm, then lost 4-2 to Buffalo in Berlin. The Rangers came close to guaranteeing another champion that started its season in Europe. New York failed to get a win in Europe, falling to both the Kings and Ducks in a pair of overtime losses in Stockholm, then coming up short in the Eastern Conference Final against New Jersey.
It was the 8th consecutive home victory in elimination games for the Rangers, who avoided being the first team swept in the Stanley Cup finals since 1988. It's unlikely, but the Rangers will now look to become the second team to come back from a 3-0 deficit. That type of comeback may be unlikely against a veteran Kings team who will have an opportunity Friday night to win the franchises' second Stanley Cup title in front of the home fans at STAPLES Center.
At the core of the Los Angeles Kings' success is still goalie Jonathon Quick. While his 2013 campaign hasn't looked quite like his Conn Smythe award-winning performance through last season's Stanley Cup Finals, he continues to consistently keep his team in games until the very end. The Los Angeles Kings have a mix of talented defensemen and grinding forwards who persistently press the opposition into making a mistake. Given the increased intensity of the playoffs, it'll take a full series of strong will, timely scoring, and good luck for anyone to unseat the current Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Finals Run
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