LA Kings, Stanley Cup Champs

The Los Angelas Kings are the 2011-2012 Stanley Cup Champions.  The team had to knock off the New Jersey Devils, who were the sixth seeded team in the Eastern Conference.  The Kings were by far the most dominant playoff team in a long time, after entering the playoffs as the eigth seeded team in the Western Conference.  They were looked at as a team that would be easily walked over once the playoffs had started.  But they shocked the world. 


In the first round of the playoffs they had to face the top seeded, presidents trophy winner, Vancouver Canucks.  The Canucks entered the playoffs on a hot streak, and thought ever so lowley of the eigth seeded Kings.  But the Kings took that as a challenge, and took a quich 3-0 lead in the series.  The Canucks, and the rest of the hockey world were shocked, and mostly on the bandwagon already.  They lost the next game, but went on to win the next, and take the series, 4-1.  They would face the second seeded St. Louis Blues in the second round of the playoffs.  They still were looked at as a weak team, compared to the rest of the west.  But, they clearly knew that they were a better team than the Blues, and won it with a clean sweep, 4-0.  They were ooked at as a serious threat now, and were ready to face the third seeded Phoenix Coyotes.  They had been solid for the entire playoffs so far, taking out the both Chicago Blackhawks, and the Nashville Predators.  They were still no match for the Kings though, losing the first three games of the series.  They went on to lose the next game, but win the next, and clinch the series. 


The Kings were ready to win their first Stanley Cup.  They would face the red-hot New Jersey Devils in the Cup Final.  The New Jersey Devils had beat the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and the top seeded New York Rangers.  Their Goaltender, Martin Brodeur, was playing outstanding in the previous series, and showed no signs of letting up.  As the series had started in New Jersey, the Kings were ready.  The Kings goaltender, Jonathan Quick, and winger Anze Kopitar, had led the team throughout the entire playoffs.  They were ready to go.  They went into New Jersey, and took both games from the Devils in the Prudental Centre.  Up 2-0, they were rady to protect their home-ice advantage.  They went up 3-0, and honestly it looked easy.  The next two games, though, went to the Devils.  They had a pair of 3-1 wins and the series was headed back to LA 3-2.  The Kings knew that they were going to end it right then and there in front of their home crowd for the first time.  They got up early in the second, and were not letting up.  They would eventutlly make that lead to a 6-1 win in game six, and a 4-2 series win.  The Los Angelas Kings were the Stanley Cup Champions, for the first time in franchise history.  They were the first eigth seed ever, to make it to the cup finals, let alone winning it. 

The Conn Smythe Trophy was awarded to the most dominant playoff goalie, arguably since Brodeur, himself.  Jonathan Quickplayed phoenominally throughout thier entire playoff run, and was well deserving to be called the MVP of this years playoffs.