It wasn’t supposed to end the way it did. With Henrik Lundqvist laying face down on the ice while the LA Kings leaped and danced and jumped around in joyous, Cup-winning ecstasy. But it did.
I had to scrap my earlier headline and post. The one that would have carried a different title along with totally different content.
Not in Your House Either would have been the title.
This is the shot by Alec Martinez that is on its edge, just inches from becoming the goal that ends the NHL Hockey season.
After coming back from the edge of the precipice on Wednesday night in a courageous and hard-fought victory led by Henrik Lunqvist’s great game, last night the New York Rangers ran out of real-estate at the end of the plank that the Kings had put them on.
With the Alec Martinez goal, in the second overtime session, the Ranger season came to an instantly stunning, painful, and abrupt end. As the Kings celebrate the thrill of their victory, NY Ranger Benoit Pouliot skates toward the beginning of his summer, in full knowledge that the coronation of the LA Kings, as Stanley Cup Champions, would begin moments later.
While I disagreed mightily with the tripping penalty call on Mats Zuccarello who was racing —>this way—> while the LA King player Jake Muzzin stood in one place facing <–that way<—, and seemed to have clearly stuck his right leg out, but that’s hockey. Even with that penalty call which ultimately gave the Kings a 5 men to 4 men advantage which they used to tie the game at 2-2, the Rangers still had some chances to win.
But they didn’t score again. End of story. Hats off to the Kings.
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