Game 2 Ends in Familiar Fashion, Kings Win Again
It was like déjà vu for the New York Rangers on Saturday night, as they once again gave up a two goal lead and lost to the Los Angeles Kings in double overtime. Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final was just as exciting as the previous one and ended with a score of 5-4 in favor of LA.
After a two day rest period for each team, the game once again started out even with both squads going back and forth trying to open the scoring. Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello each scored in the first period to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead with 20 minutes gone by.
The second period had a flurry of goals in it as the teams seesawed back and forth in scoring. Jarret Stoll scored for LA and made the score 2-1. Next, Martin St. Louis scored for NY to put the Rangers back up by two goals. After that, LA’s Willie Mitchell scored to make it 3-2 only to have New York’s Derek Brassard score 11 seconds later to make it 4-2 Rangers. Four goals were tallied in the second period but it still wasn’t over yet.
The third period is where things went downhill for the Rangers. LA’s Dwight King scored to cut the lead down to 4-3 still in favor of New York but the Kings still weren’t finished. Former New York Ranger Marian Gaborik tied the game 4-4 and sent the LA crowd into a frenzy as their team had once again erased a two goal deficit. Regulation ended and Game 2 was headed to overtime.
As usual, overtime was nothing short of exciting. The first overtime featured some great scoring chances by each team yet no one could put the puck in the back of the net. Overtime’s best chances came from multiple breakaways and even a puck that rang right off the post after a shot from a Rangers player. Double overtime would be needed.
The marathon game continued but not for too long. With just over 10 minutes left in the second overtime, LA captain Dustin Brown tipped a shot from the point past Henrik Lundqvist to win the game 5-4 in dramatic fashion for the Kings. LA has not yet had a lead in any game played but finds themselves up 2-0 in the series. Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at Madison Square Garden is Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC Sports Network.
