Stanley Cup Dreams

     The final stage is set for the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. The New York Rangers will face off against the Los Angeles Kings for the right to raise Lord Stanley's Cup after a long, arduous season all culminating in this final series.
      For the Kings this is their second trip to the Cup Finals in the last three years and their third ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance. In 2012 the Kings run to the Stanley Cup was improbable as they entered the playoffs as the 8 seed in the West and defeated  top seeded Vancouver, second seeded St. Louis, and third seeded Phoenix before dispatching of the New Jersey Devils in 6 games.

Kings banner celebration 2012

      This years' run has been similar in that they have had to face off against all teams with better seedings' including their come back from 3-0 in their initial series with San Jose followed by erasing a 3-2 series deficit against the top seeded Ducks.
      The Western Conference Finals saw a matchup of the last two Cup Champions with the Chicago Blackhawks taking on the LA Kings. The series was one for the ages and was one of the best playoff series of the entire playoffs, including Game 7 which went into overtime where the Kings Alec Martinez scored just over 5 minutes into the period to send the Kings to a matchup with the waiting Rangers.
      The Rangers route to the Stanley Cup has been one of an underdog story this Playoff season. Their opening series went the distance as the Rangers exchanged wins and losses with the Philadelphia Flyers, in a hard fought series that the Rangers took in 7. The Kings aren't the only team who have faced adversity in these playoffs. The Rangers Conference Seminfinal matchup pitted them against the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins and the Penguins seemed poised to take the series jumping out to a 3-1 series lead. However, the Rangers battled with resiliency and convincingly took Game 5, 5-1 before winning the next two to lead them to a Eastern Conference matchup with the Canadiens, who as we all know had just upset the top seeded Bruins and seemed to be the favorites coming into the series.
      After an incredible 7-2 win in Game 1 for the Blueshirts, there was no one doubting the abilities of the Rangers to come out on top. Five games later and it was the Rangers taking the series 4-2 after Dominic Moore scored in the second period of Game 6 for the first and only goal of the game to send the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals for the 11th time and first since they won the cup 20 years ago on the heels of Captain Mark Messier.

 

 

 

 

Dominic Moore, Game 6 hero, adds the 12th piece to the Rangers Championship puzzle

      The final series of the season is shaping up to be a great one as the Rangers and Kings get underway Wednesday June 4th at 8PM in LA. Whoever wins this series deserves it as both teams have faced many trials and tribulations en route to the Cup Finals and this series will be worth the price of admission.

      My bold prediction for the outcome of this Rangers v. Kings series is that the New York Rangers continue to take the world by storm lifting the cup at home after Game 6.