The Hockey News - Greatest Games (USA)

FINALLY, THE CROWN

Nearly a half-century after introducin­g the NHL to California, the Kings claim hockey’s biggest prize

- BY DOUG WARD

FtKhiynghs­ewiretroet­ahne uthnrwoonr­e-. OR 45 YEARS, THE But decades as diletmtana­ntedsinwge­1r6e-4purrugned­ininthae 2co0m12mta­nantedsinw­ge1r6e-4purrugned­ininthae playoffs, the unlikely crowning c6o-1mCinugpi-ncltinhceh­foinrgmwoi­fnaorvaeur­cothues aDnedvicls­ortohnaatt­iwoans. both exorcism

With multi-generation­al torment hanging over the Staples lCeeandtef­er,lt tphrecaKri­inoguss’. N3e-2w Jseerrsiey­s had won Games 4 and 5, and saeDndevti­hlsewseinr­ieins bGacmkeea6­stwfourlda onBe-ugtamiedsw­haoywtdhor­owung.h the first period, New Jersey’s Steve Bernheiehr ittoRookba­Smcuadjoer­ripfernoam­ltybewhhin­end and, like magic, hockey sticks turned to scepters. Dustin BLerowwisn­s,cJoerfefdC­oanrttehre­apnodweTre­pvlaoyr to give L.A. a 3-0 lead, and the NHL’s longtime jesters took on tDhoewanp4­p-e1arinantc­he tohfiradr,isthtoecDr­aecvy-. iLleswpius­llsecdorMe­darthinis Bsreocdoen­udr,gbouatl oeaxtf i1tsh6tie:n1gg5a,imnaneLdio­ntshtoeAan­mngiereale­mcslpeftio­ynfanilcel­yet made sense. a SKoinrrgys Asel asMoinc-htiacekles,t bhuotldear­s, we’re sure you will understand. FinorhKoic­nkgesyfahn­iss,ttohreygrw­eastens’t cuatl-l 1te9r8e0d, binutuipns­taetaed NinedwowYo­nrtokwin Lyeos, Aitnwgeals­ems, i3ra2cyuel­oaurs .later, and EmTrhicek iwnotrhdes­wvaoniicne­gdmboymeDn­otcs of a decisive win that brought tohreigiSn­talnnleoyn-Ctruapditi­ontahlemNa­HrkLe’st fsour rtehael fiarnsdt tiwmoertwh­etrheeelne­egarnlty, half-century wait. “The Kings,” Emrick said, “are the kings.”

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