Los Angeles array in overtime to defeat the Rangers, 3-2.
LOS ANGELES — Justin Williams denticulate 4:36 into overtime afterwards a about-face by Dan Girardi, and the Los Angeles Kings exhausted the New York Rangers 3-2 on Wednesday night in the Stanley Cup finals opener.

Williams was larboard abandoned in the aperture afterwards Girardi’s canyon from his knees went beeline to Mike Richards. Williams put his eighth ambition of the postseason accomplished Henrik Lundqvist, who fabricated 40 saves and about blanket an aboriginal win for the Rangers.
Jonathan Quick fabricated 25 saves for the Kings, who confused one achievement afterpiece to their additional Stanley Cup appellation in three years afterwards a amazing opener.
Game 2 is Saturday at Staples Center.

Kyle Clifford had a ambition and an abetment for Los Angeles, and Drew Doughty denticulate the attached ambition in the additional aeon as the Kings overcame yet addition aboriginal arrears in a postseason abounding of comebacks.

The Kings hadn’t won an overtime playoff bold at home back May 6, 2001. Williams attributed the win to “resilience and believing. Certainly it was not the alpha we wanted, but we got the aftereffect we wanted.”
Benoit Pouliot denticulate on a breakaway and Carl Hagelin got a short-handed ambition in the aboriginal period, but the Rangers spent abundant of the final two periods on their heels. Lundqvist had several outstanding saves as the Swedish brilliant began his attack to win his aboriginal Stanley Cup, but had no adventitious on Williams’ winner.

Los Angeles outshot New York 20-3 in the third period, acceptable the aboriginal aggregation to get 20 shots in a finals aeon in 16 years. The Kings additionally got a ability comedy with 1:36 left, ambience up a agrarian accomplishment to regulation.

Moments afterwards Hagelin was denied by Quick on yet addition short-handed breakaway, Jeff Carter was chock-full agonizingly abbreviate of a wraparound ambition by Lundqvist, sending the Kings to their third beeline overtime playoff game.

The tension-filled opener was a applicable alpha to the finals for two teams that traversed perilous paths to the aboriginal New York-L.A. championship playoff affair back the Yankees-Dodgers World Alternation in 1981.

The Kings and the Rangers played a accumulated 41 amateur in the aboriginal three circuit – aloof one beneath than the best – to appear from the average of the playoff pack.

The alternation is big account in the nation’s two better cities: Staples Center was arranged for the opener with roaring Kings admirers still not absolutely acclimatized to their club’s contempo success. Meanwhile, bags of New Yorkers arranged Bryant Park to watch on video boards.

The Kings and Rangers hadn’t met in seven months, but New York’s acceleration bound acquired problems for Los Angeles, arch to an aboriginal two-goal advantage.

Pouliot denticulate the aboriginal ambition of the alternation on a breakaway, burglary the bogie from Doughty and skating accomplished a barrier Jake Muzzin. The Rangers’ baby accidental of admirers roared afresh 2:42 after back Hagelin’s breakaway attempt was kicked in by Slava Voynov, who hadn’t been able to accumulate up with Hagelin out of the New York zone.

Los Angeles answered backward in the aeon back Carter anesthetized from abaft the net to Clifford, who banged in a sharp-angled attempt for his aboriginal playoff ambition back April 23, 2011. The cutting advanced had played 37 beeline postseason amateur after a goal.

Doughty angry it for the Kings with a admirable move, toe-dragging about Derek Dorsett and battlefront a wrist attempt accomplished Lundqvist for his fourth ambition in six games.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals went to overtime for the third beeline season.
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