Lundqvist struggles as Rangers lose Game 5, 5-3 (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 22:18:31 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Rangers played their best game of the postseason against the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately, it was a night Henrik Lundqvist played his worst

Rangers try to shake off demoralizing loss (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 22:20:12 PDT)
Sometimes it is just easier to take getting blown out by five goals than to lose the way the New York Rangers did Wednesday night.

Devils beat Rangers, on brink of Stanley Cup Finals
(Wed, 23 May 2012 21:44:55 PDT)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New Jersey Devils let a three-goal lead slip away against the New York Rangers on Wednesday but scored twice late in the third period to claim a 5-3 win and move within touching distance of a place in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

Devils outlast Rangers, 5-3, take 3-2 series lead (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 21:40:06 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) The Devils turned a stellar first nine minutes and an opportunistic final five into a stirring victory over the Rangers that moved New Jersey within one win of a trip to the Stanley Cup finals.

Devils blew three-goal lead but survive to take 3-2 series lead (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 21:30:16 PDT)
NEW YORK -- Seventeen seconds into the third period Wednesday night, the Madison Square Garden crowd was taunting New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur with its ubiquitous singsong chant after a rare miscue allowed the New York Rangers to tie a game they once trailed 3-0.

Wednesday’s Three Stars: Devils fourth line steps up; Watch Prust dive (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 21:17:11 PDT)
The New Jersey Devils, praying harder than John Tortorella. No. 1 Star: Stephen Gionta, New Jersey Devils Gionta led the way for the Devils in Game 5, opening the scoring just 2:43 into the game and then setting up Ryan Carter for the game-winning goal at 15:36 of the third period. And that, my friends, is how you make up for going 0-for-5 in the faceoff circle. No. 2 Star: Ryan Callahan, New York Rangers The Rangers' captain was a difference-maker Wednesday, playing 20 minutes, leading the way physically with a game-high 6 hits, hitting a post, and scoring early in the second period to cut the Devils' lead in half. But was his goal kicked in? No. 3 Star: Ryan Carter, New Jersey Devils Carter scored the winner and was a part of the Devils' fourth line that was the difference in Game 5. He, Gionta, and Steve Bernier all earned praise from Coach Peter DeBoer after the game.

Stephen Gionta leads Devils in Game 5 triumph over the New York Rangers (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 20:46:41 PDT)
Full disclosure: This entire post is just an excuse to show you this unbelievable photo by Bruce Bennett. The New York Rangers controlled Game 5 for 40 minutes, limiting the New Jersey Devils to just 10 shots during that stretch and outscoring them, 3-0. Unfortunately, these 40 minutes were bookended on either side by 10 minutes that they did not control. During those 20 minutes, the Devils scored 5 times on 7 shots, and that was all the offence they'd need in a 5-3 win. It was a strange Game 5 -- "An adventure," according to Devils coach Peter DeBoer -- with all sorts of unexpected offense and strange bounces. The Devils came out flying, beating Henrik Lundqvist twice in the first five minutes. Stephen Gionta opened the scoring after finding himself alone with a rebound in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Then, just two minutes later, Patrik Elias doubled the lead when an Adam Henrique point shot pinballed around like it was teaching children how to count to 12 before deflecting off the back of his leg and in. Five minutes later, Travis Zajac stunned the Madison Square crowd when he extended the lead with a perfectly-placed wrister off the rush. This put the Rangers in a tough spot. They had only reached four goals in a game once this poststeason -- in the playoff opener versus the Ottawa Senators in April 12. But they were undeterred by the daunting task, and they put their game into overdrive. Also they got some luck.

Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Bid Backed by Honest Philadelphia Flyers Supporters: Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 20:40:00 PDT)
The Los Angeles Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes in five games to earn the right to play for the Stanley Cup. The Philadelphia Flyers were convincingly pushed out of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the New Jersey Devils.

New Jersey puts Rangers on the brink in NHL series
(Wed, 23 May 2012 20:35:55 PDT)
Ryan Carter's third goal of the playoffs held up as the game winner as the New Jersey Devils held on to beat the New York Rangers 5-3 in game five of their Eastern Conference championship series.

Devils 5, Rangers 3 (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 19:50:09 PDT)
NEW YORK -- Seventeen seconds into the third period Wednesday night, the Madison Square Garden crowd was taunting New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur with its ubiquitous singsong chant, after a rare miscue allowed the New York Rangers to tie a game they once trailed 3-0.

Dubinsky, Prust back in Rangers lineup for Game 5 (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 17:02:00 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) Brandon Dubinsky is back in the New York Rangers' lineup after missing 11 playoff games because of an injury to his right foot.

Rangers, Devils back at MSG for pivotal Game 5; NHL 13 screenshots (Playoff Puck Previews) (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:42:14 PDT)
• Feast your eyes on some screengrabs from NHL 13. [ Operation Sports ] Preview: New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers, 8 p.m. ET Except to see a different Rangers team Wednesday, and not just because they'll be plugging two Brandons into the lineup, with Brandon Dubinsky making his series debut and Brandon Prust returning from his one-game suspension. The Rangers have played fabulously at Madison Square Garden this postseason, and it's hardly possible for them to be as poor as they were in the 4-1 Game 4 loss that evened this series at two games apiece. The Rangers desperately need to get their forwards going, as Chris Krieder is the only one with two goals. Might we see a more open game than we've grown accustomed to? Evening Reading • Cool post on Sidney Crosby's comic book death. [ The Hockey Writers ] • An open letter to Shane Doan from a Kings fan. Incredibly, it's nice. [ Nebulous Verbosity ] • Kirk McLean's entire career is up for auction, if that's what you're into. [ PITB ] • If the Devils and Rangers go to a Game 7, it will be shown on NBC Sports, not NBC. Why? The Senior PGA tour's got dibs. [ Newsday ] • The Oilers don't need a stud defenceman just yet. [ Oilers Nation ] Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Luke, on the screenshot of the woman behind the Coyotes' bench Wednesday night : If you stare hard enough thru the picture like one of those Magic Eye books you CAN see Dave Tippett..... Uncanny. Bold Prediction: Brandon Dubinsky scores in his first game back.

LA Kings conquer West, await Cup final opponent (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:21:08 PDT)
LOS ANGELES (AP) The crowd was dozens deep and hundreds wide, screaming and chanting and surrounding the Los Angeles Kings' cars as they drove home after writing another improbable chapter in the big, mostly empty book that holds their franchise history.

Dubinsky returns for Game 5; No hearing for Brown; Spacek rips Habs (Puck Headlines) (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 11:29:50 PDT)
• John Tortorella, when asked how he was going to get his forwards going on Tuesday: "Pray." He then read an excerpt from his memoir on a trip he took around the world after splitting from the Tampa Bay Lightning. • By the way, in case it wasn't clear that John Tortorella's sense of humour is lacking, on Wednesday morning he made it clear that he was joking about prayer and retracted the joke. [ NHL ] • No hearing for Dustin Brown for his controversial collision with Michal Rozsival. [ LA Kings Insider ] • Brandon Dubinsky returns to the Rangers' lineup for Game 5. [ Newsday ] • Showing some much-needed attention to the Devils' relatively anonymous blueline. [ NJ ] • An argument for shaking up the New York Rangers' lines by removing Carl Hagelin from the top unit: "Hagelin is currently playing top line minutes with the Rangers two most skilled forwards, and ha exactly zero goals to show for it. That's no goals and just three assists in 18 games so far this postseason. No matter which way you look at this, it's unacceptable to have a top line player with zero goals in 18 games. At some point, changes need to be made." [ Blue Seat Blogs ] • Jaroslav Spacek claims he might have retired at the end of the year if he had finished it in Montreal, and rips the Canadiens hockey operations team, from the bizarre rules for the players to the total lack of communication. "'So much bad stuff,' Spacek said. 'In my 20-year hockey career, I'd never seen anything like it. If you don't like the way I play, kick me in the ass. But no one said anything. It was terrible.'" [ Montreal Gazette ] • Another major step towards the Phoenix Coyotes staying in Arizona was taken after the team was eliminated last night, as the Glendale City Council voted to approve a preliminary budget that includes $17 million to the prospective buyer of the team for operating costs for the city's Jobing.com Arena." [ Winnipeg Free Press ] • The Wild have signed 2010 first-round pick Mikael Grandlund to his entry-level contract. He announced the deal himself in a video on the Wild's website. [ Wild ] • Michael Arace on the American invasion in the NHL. [ Blue Jackets Xtra ] • Alex Semin cuts his forehead on his gold medal, which is a very enigmatic thing to do. [ RMNB ]

Rested and ready, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist remains New York's best player and best chance
(Wed, 23 May 2012 10:38:30 PDT)
The Rangers rarely score more than a few goals, and that's not about to change. But with Lundqvist in net, they've always got a chance to win.

Devils-Rangers Preview (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 08:45:34 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) Practice for the New York Rangers went from optional to mandatory. Their attitude shifted from agitated to optimistic.

Stanley Cup Playoff overtimes: Historically, when are goals most likely to be scored? (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 07:06:07 PDT)
The Los Angeles Kings did some unpredictable things, statistically speaking, en route to making the Stanley Cup Final: Like going 8-0 on the road, nearly having as many shorthanded goals (5) as power-play goals (6) and beating the top three seeds in the conference. Dustin Penner's Western Conference Final-winning goal was no exception. Pancakes scored at 17:42 of the first and only overtime, and according to the history of Stanley Cup Playoff overtime, that's an exception to the expected. Chris Winchester, a Detroit Red Wings for 35 years and a PD reader, put together a spreadsheet that looked at when goals were scored in playoff overtimes going back to expansion in 1968. From Winchester: I always had the feeling that most overtimes ended in the first 5 minutes or so of overtime.  After compiling the data for every playoff overtime game it turns out that over 40 percent of overtime games ended in the first five minutes of the extra period. I did not calculate the fact that the game may have ended in the 2nd or 3rd overtime, just the time the goal was scored during the extra period. In other words, the following chart doesn't account for in which overtime the goal was scored, but rather when in that overtime it was scored. Via Winchester, the numbers; click here for the much larger, clearer image. Again, take a gander at the full chart here . A few thoughts on this chart …

Kings await Eastern winner in Finals (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 02:21:23 PDT)
After a 19-year wait, the Los Angeles Kings have returned to a land last traversed by Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Kelly Hrudey and pals: the Stanley Cup Finals.

Kings edge Coyotes 4-3 in overtime to win West (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 01:13:43 PDT)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) A great road playoff run has the Los Angeles Kings in a place they haven't been since the Great One was skating in Southern California.

Kings cruise into Stanley Cup finals
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:56:40 PDT)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Kings booked their place in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in almost 20 years after wrapping up the NHL Western Conference title with a 4-3 overtime win over Phoenix in Game Five on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s Three Stars: Penner’s overtime winner puts Kings in the Final (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:50:33 PDT)
No. 1 Star: Dustin Penner, Los Angeles Kings Penner's 2-point night gave him 10 points this postseason, a career best for him. His assist set up Mike Richards' goal in the second period, but it was his own goal that gave the Kings a 4-3 overtime victory to put them into the Stanley Cup Final: No. 2 Star: Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings Quick stood tall making 38 saves as the Kings won their eighth straight road game in the playoffs becoming the first team to reach the Final doing so, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He came up big early in the first period with this save on Radim Vrbata: No. 3 Star: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings Doughty's two points were involved in tying goals early in the game. His assist in the first period helped set up Anze Kopitar's shorthanded tally, while his goal midway through the second period tied the game 2-2.

Kings vs. Coyotes Game 5; Pierre McGuire on Tortorella/DeBoer argument (Playoff Puck Previews) (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 16:02:01 PDT)
Back by popular demand, here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished. In which timelines collide and coaches from four different teams yell at each other about goonery. whilst Pierre McGuire — whom we suspect may be an exiled Time Lord — watches on. We'd love a velvet painting of this. [via reader Tony Vela] Game 5 Preview: Los Angeles Kings at Phoenix Coyotes, 9 p.m. EST. (Kings lead, 3-1) The Coyotes face elimination again, as the Kings take their undefeated (7-0) show on the road. The first goal looms mighty big in this game, as Shane Doan told LA Kings Insider: "I think it just calms (teams) down to a certain degree, so they know we're doing things right, things are going your way. I think confidence is everything in the playoffs, just because everyone is so, so close. With everyone being that close, feeling confident is big." Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page . For tonight's starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock. Evening Reading • Listen to today's Marek Vs. Wyshynski here. In which we discuss a Pete DeBoer/John Tortorella barn fight.

Rangers, Devils all even heading into key Game 5 (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 14:20:46 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) Practice for the New York Rangers went from optional to mandatory. Their attitude shifted from agitated to optimistic.

Stanley Cup Final schedule released; Game 1 on May 30, Game 7 would be June 13 (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 12:34:17 PDT)
Now that Los Angeles is a hockey town , the NHL was able to release its 2012 Stanley Cup Final schedule, despite none of the participants having yet been determined. From the NHL: Based on their superior regular-season point totals, either the New York Rangers or the New Jersey Devils will host Games One and Two of the best-of-seven Final, as well as Games Five and Seven.  Games Three and Four will be hosted by the Western Conference champion, either the Phoenix Coyotes or the Los Angeles Kings, as well as Game Six. In the U.S., NBC will broadcast Games One and Two and, if necessary, Games Five through Seven of the Final, while NBC Sports Network will telecast Games Three and Four.  In Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the entire series.  All games also will be carried on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. 2012 Stanley Cup Final Schedule Game 1: Wed., May 30, 8 p.m. Western Champion at Eastern Champion, NBC, CBC, RDS Game 2: Sat., June 2, 8 p.m. Western Champion at Eastern Champion, NBC, CBC, RDS Game 3: Mon., June 4, 8 p.m. Eastern Champion at Western Champion, NBCSN, CBC, RDS Game 4: Wed., June 6, 8 p.m. Eastern Champion at Western Champion, NBCSN, CBC, RDS *Game 5: Sat., June 9, 8 p.m. Western Champion at Eastern Champion, NBC, CBC, RDS *Game 6: Mon., June 11, 8 p.m. Eastern Champion at Western Champion, NBC, CBC, RDS *Game 7: Wed., June 13, 8 p.m. Western Champion at Eastern Champion, NBC, CBC, RDS * If necessary Steve Whyno of the Washington Times notes that Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final would start roughly 90 minutes after I'll Have Another attempts to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes. Both the Mets and Yankees are on the road on June 13 for a potential Game 7. The city and/or Jersey is the NHL's to dominate!