Game Thread: Stanley Cup Final Game 2: New York Rangers @ Los Angeles Kings, 6/7 4:00 PM, NBC

[Bluesince62]

Last series, Toews was checked into Quick, penalty on Toews. Hossa steamrolled and checked into quick, penalty Hossa.

didnt seem to matter last series.

All fans want is some consistency, and dont make it look so obvious when they give the games to the kings.

Apropos handle.

 

[davnlaguna]

Pulled this from the main board here. I like the gif and I am keeping the comment just because

Looking at a non - creatively framed gif, you see King going to the slot, and McDonagh who is not even looking at the play, meet him and push him into Lundquist.

Right call. In real time, King had no opportunity to avoid contact, especially not to the level where he was going to avoid it had McDonagh not interfered with him.

 

[Bluesince62]

Pulled this from the main board here. I like the gif and I am keeping the comment just because

Exactly. King would have never entered the crease if not for McDonagh's contact,

 

[emg28]

According to Hank, in his after game comments, the refs told him the puck was past him before the contact.

If you look at the gif you posted, the puck is past him by the time he attempts to make a save. The refs were actually correct.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

Last series, Toews was checked into Quick, penalty on Toews. Hossa steamrolled and checked into quick, penalty Hossa.

didnt seem to matter last series.

All fans want is some consistency, and dont make it look so obvious when they give the games to the kings.

That the refs are intentionally favoring the Kings and not one of the precious "Original 6" is completely looking at it with biased eyes. True the refereeing has been nothing but inconsistent to say the least. But to be completely fair there have been missed calls (or non-calls) going both ways in almost every game. But if it's true that the league wants the Kings to win like all you Blackhawks and Rangers fans think then I actually hope you're right. That means I'll get to to to another parade. And we deserve it for suffering through 45 years of mediocrity.

Being old school all these ticky-tack penalties that get called in the new modern game are silly. The goalie (the most padded guy on the ice) goes out of the net to play the puck and he can't be touched? In the old days he became just another skater once he left his crease. You break someone's brittle composite stick and it's a slash? A slash used to be whacking a skaters hand or forearm. Hitting the stick was just good defense. You take one hand off your stick and touch the guy with the puck and it's holding? Holding used to be grabbing the guy with the puck. I'm not looking to bring back the clutch and grab game but lets be real with what prevents scoring opportunities or could cause injury.

Ox

 

[Psych3man]

Ox at his finest....

 

[pete6835]

Go Kings

Finally somebody with some sense.

 

[lasportzphan]

That the refs are intentionally favoring the Kings and not one of the precious "Original 6" is completely looking at it with biased eyes. True the refereeing has been nothing but inconsistent to say the least. But to be completely fair there have been missed calls (or non-calls) going both ways in almost every game. But if it's true that the league wants the Kings to win like all you Blackhawks and Rangers fans think then I actually hope you're right. That means I'll get to to to another parade. And we deserve it for suffering through 45 years of mediocrity.

Being old school all these ticky-tack penalties that get called in the new modern game are silly. The goalie (the most padded guy on the ice) goes out of the net to play the puck and he can't be touched? In the old days he became just another skater once he left his crease. You break someone's brittle composite stick and it's a slash? A slash used to be whacking a skaters hand or forearm. Hitting the stick was just good defense. You take one hand off your stick and touch the guy with the puck and it's holding? Holding used to be grabbing the guy with the puck. I'm not looking to bring back the clutch and grab game but lets be real with what prevents scoring opportunities or could cause injury.

Ox

Another idiot just hot schooled. I hope he enjoys the parade.

 

[Retroram52]

That gif davnlaguna posted that was shot from above corroborates the refs call. Good call. No interference. Moving along to game three.

 

[pete6835]

It wasn't the tying goal or the winning goal. AND you can't base the whole game on 1 questionable goal.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Why won't Lewis PASS the puck???????????????

Late responses from me, extremely busy this weekend - my hockey games, the Kings game, kids, household projects (I'm posting in what WAS my office - massive overhaul going on here and I have walls open and crap everywhere. I should be able to put the finishing touches on the wiring and put the drywall back in tomorrow) but did catch the game.

I was wondering the exact same thing about Lewis in Game 2 - he had about 2-3 chances and simply ran out of track or just made the wrong play.

I know this guy is a defensive specialist, but he did score 35 goals in the USHL and then 29 goals in the OHL prior to the bigs. He has (had?) some offensive talent, I'm thinking all these years of becoming an NHL checker made him forget WTF to do when he has the puck on an offensive chance.

Just seems he has zero hands and thinking ability when it comes to a scoring chance.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Lundqvist still flopped

Two by Nash in Games 1 and 2, and then La Diva's dive was classic. Rangers taking "on Broadway" way too literally.

Effin divers.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

It's nice being up 2-0 and knowing we still haven't played our best hockey this series.

That's the scary part for NY - if the Kings get their shit together and actually play Kings hockey, the Rangers will be lucky to get 2 goals let alone a win. I'm glad the Rangers are getting embarrassed nationally though and that King Diva's stats are taking a massive hit.

They have been completely out of character in the latter part of the Hawks series and this entire series so far and it hasn't bit them in the ass, but they better stop pushing it.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

That the refs are intentionally favoring the Kings and not one of the precious "Original 6" is completely looking at it with biased eyes. True the refereeing has been nothing but inconsistent to say the least. But to be completely fair there have been missed calls (or non-calls) going both ways in almost every game. But if it's true that the league wants the Kings to win like all you Blackhawks and Rangers fans think then I actually hope you're right. That means I'll get to to to another parade. And we deserve it for suffering through 45 years of mediocrity.

Being old school all these ticky-tack penalties that get called in the new modern game are silly. The goalie (the most padded guy on the ice) goes out of the net to play the puck and he can't be touched? In the old days he became just another skater once he left his crease. You break someone's brittle composite stick and it's a slash? A slash used to be whacking a skaters hand or forearm. Hitting the stick was just good defense. You take one hand off your stick and touch the guy with the puck and it's holding? Holding used to be grabbing the guy with the puck. I'm not looking to bring back the clutch and grab game but lets be real with what prevents scoring opportunities or could cause injury.

Ox

Oxilator with the hammer. BOOM.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I hope the Rangers lose on this principle alone. You guys know my stance on diving, zero place for it in the game.

 

[anotheridiot]

Another idiot just hot schooled. I hope he enjoys the parade.

When he agreed with me that the refs have made terrible calls all playoffs? Thats getting schooled? Maybe thats schooling you that I am not completely off the mark.

Throw a gif with a 200 pound d man pushing a 240 pound forward into the crease and make it look like he didnt want to be there.

Its fine if its so important to you to win this way. I just remember the rangers not having a chance in hell of beating either the kings or the hawks and are actually giving them a tough series with two overtime games.

 

[davnlaguna]

Looks like I may have to send a bigger bribe to the refs, they are saying they took a lot of heat over the last game. They tried to cover their tracks by giving the Rags two power plays in OT. They want 12.75 for Mondays game, in cash. The cost of everything goes up during the playoffs.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Its fine if its so important to you to win this way. I just remember the rangers not having a chance in hell of beating either the kings or the hawks and are actually giving them a tough series with two overtime games.

Well see, this is where I feel zero pity for NY. They were gifted 6 calls/non calls in the first two games:

- the high stick on Greene that should have been a double minor. No call.
- the butt end to Drew Doughty's face, which is a match penalty. No call.
- two flops by Rick Nash in Games 1 and 2, both called. Obvious the guy went down easy, especially for a "power forward".
- Broadway winning dive from King Diva, he looked like he got shot by a sniper from the 300s. That was embarrassing as hell. Carter did bump him, but both guys should have received minors. Carter for goalie interference, La Diva for being a diving bitch. That acting job was real close to Mike Ribiero's "I'm dying" act from about 5 years ago.
- high stick on Mike Richards in Game 2. No call.

Couple in the fact that:

- the Rangers held a 2-0 lead in Game 1 and lost, and they had three leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 in Game 2 and still lost. They had their chances to close the Kings out.
- the Kings have played extremely sloppy these first two games, and I will say the last 2-3 games of the Hawks series as well. The Rangers haven't even come close to seeing the Kings' A game yet where as they have thrown everything they possibly can at LA and still left CA with 2 losses. If the Kings shore up and play their game from the first drop starting tonight through the end of the series, NY is screwed six ways from Sunday.

So all in all, while I agree the officiating has stunk in every series for every team good teams account for that and don't let it rattle them. The Kings got their fair share of crap calls/non-calls during the season and in the playoffs but have marched their way forward every time a challenge has come their way. Officiating is an excuse losers use because in the end you'll get some calls you shouldn't have, and you'll get screwed on calls you should have received.

NY needs to look in the mirror more than bitch at the officiating as to why they're down 2-0, and the Kings can sit there and say yes we got a potential fortunate break but that isn't the reason why we're up 2-0.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

This is kind of where I'm at as well. Rangers supposedly 10-0 in these Playoffs when heading into the 3rd with a lead and even after the 3rd goal, they still had a 4-3 lead in the 3rd. This team is weak if that broke them. Scott Burnside article on ESPN had me just literally shaking my head because he credits that goal as breaking this series open (Link below). Kings were already battling back again after every 2 goal deficit and could have just as easily rolled over when Quick/Mitchell decided to spot the Rangers their 4th goal. Instead, they came out and went after NY again in the 3rd.

NHL - 2014 Stanley Cup finals: New York Rangers watch another win slip away - ESPN

To me, that's the difference. I honestly believe that if the shoe was on the other foot, and LA had a "controversial" call to cut their lead by 1, Quick and the team would not rollover and say "Series breaking goal. Not sure what else we can do now with only a one goal lead in the third period". There is no way that happens. They would have stayed grounded and focused on protecting their lead. New York just caved.

I try to be grounded with this stuff because A: The real Ranger fans are not the ones on Facebook and social media (Might not even be on message boards) complaining. I hate when LA loses, but I always try to understand that there are some diehards for the other team somewhere that deserved the win for the other team. B: The media are trying to generate excitement for the series and need to generate it anyway they can. It goes both ways, because the majority of the clowns that comment as "Kings fans" are just bandwagoners or trolls.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Holy crap that is a sky is falling article about the Rangers. And I agree, if that is all it takes for the Rangers to wilt, they didn't deserve to be a worthy for LA to begin with. Chicago got reamed in the WCFs - as did LA - but neither team cowered under the pressure, nobody came out and said "this is it". That's the difference between a team with talent and character and a team with simply talent.

Turdside did get something right, he is usually a complete tool, but even a broken clock is right twice a day:

And, sure, two overtime losses don't suggest a wide disparity between the two teams, but the manner in which the Rangers lost -- failing to display the killer instinct that the Kings quite obviously possess in spades -- reveals much more than the score.

Bingo.

This ain't an EC team, Ranger fans. The Kings are the best team in hockey the last 4 years or so for a reason.