THE FINAL MATCHUPS
The Los Angeles Kings are a Western power built on chemistry, toughness and skill. They won the Stanley Cup in 2012 with the same core that anchors this year’s team.
The Rangers rose into a championship challenger by making sweeping changes to augment the foundation built by several players who have seen this journey through from Day 1. Both the Rangers and Kings have demonstrated undeniable character in enduring a combined 41 playoff matches to reach this year’s Final. Here’s how the teams stack up:
FORWARDS
Martin St. Louis and exRanger Marian Gaborik are two of the top producers up front, and both arrived in trade deadline deals. St. Louis is tied with center Derek Stepan and defenseman Ryan McDonagh for a team-high 13 playoff points, while Gaborik leads all scorers with 12 goals playing on a line with Conn Smythe candidate center Anze Kopitar (league-high 24 points). The K ings’ ‘ T hat 70’s Line,’ comprised of Tanner Pearson (No. 70), Jeff Carter (77) and Tyler Toffoli (73), has been lethal, with 20 combined points in their seven-game series against the Blackhawks. Rangers center Derick Brassard’s unit with Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot is most often the Rangers’ offensive engine. Four Kings forwards have more points than any Ranger this postseason, but both clubs roll four lines and have balanced scoring.
Edge: Kings
DEFENSEMEN
Defenseman Drew Doughty drives everything L.A. does and may be the best player left in the playoffs. If the Kings win, he could be crowned MVP, playing alongside Jake Muzzin. Alec Martinez scored the Game 7 game-winning overtime goal against Chicago on Sunday night from the back end, but not all of L.A.’s blue-liners are good skaters, which could present a problem against a Rangers forecheck built on the speed of Carl Hagelin, Chris Kreider, Zuccarello and Dominic Moore.
The Rangers’ versatile McDonagh headlines a group of six that may be slightly more balanced and gets involved in the offense often. Dan Girardi has logged heavy, important minutes all postseason. So has Marc Staal, who has been downright nasty with his physical play. Both Girardi and Staal have to clean up recent giveaways, but as long as either Anton Stralman or Kevin Klein plays an above-average each game, the Blueshirts’ defense should be in good shape.
Edge: Rangers
GOALIES
It’s the Connecticut kid vs.
the King, except the kid, L.A.’s Jonathan Quick, 28, born in Milford, Conn., has a Cup and a Conn Smythe on his resume from 2012. It took Lundqvist, 32, until his ninth season to reach the Final. Still, Lundqvist’s career numbers (2.26 goals against average, .920 save percentage) are better than Quick’s (2.28, .915), and more per tinently, Lundqvist’s 2014 postseason stats (2.03 GAA, .928 save percentage) dwarf those of his Kings counterpart (2.86, .906).
Quick is nimble, lightning-fast and typically disciplined. Lundqvist relies on flawless technique, patience deep in his crease and rebound control. Both goalies have been pulled twice this postseason, but Lundqvist is playing better right now.
Edge: Rangers
COACHES
Alain Vigneault’s excuse all season for not knowing something about an Eastern Conference team was: “I come from the West.” So he should be right at home. Vigneault, 53, impressively is in the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in four seasons and in his first campaign as Rangers coach. He led the Vancouver Canucks to a Game 7 in 2011 but lost to the Boston Bruins, then was fired last spring after backto-back first-round exits.
Regardless of result, Vigneault unquestionably will be more entertaining and quotable during this series than Kings coach Darryl Sutter, 55, whose terse responses will call to mind John Tortorella. Sutter commands a tremendous amount of respect from his players and already has led the Kings to their first Stanley Cup.
Edge: Even
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Kings’ power play (25.4%) is almost twice as effective as the Rangers’ man advantage (13.6%), so once again it will be up to the stout Ranger penalty kill (85.9 %), wh ich is led by Br ian Boyle, Hagelin, McDonagh, Girardi and Lundqvist. L.A. is led by Carter’s fou r powerplay goals and also i sn’t too shabby on the penalt y kill, at 81.2% efficiency. Something will have to give in the matchup when L.A. goes up an extra man, either way.
Edge: Even