It's been a long journey, and now we come to the end.
Game 5: NY Rangers vs. Los Angeles.
The 2013-2014 NHL season was the first that I followed intently. I've probably talked about this before, but I think it bears mentioning again because of the way it ended.
Really, could it have ended any better? After months of play, including an Olympic break, then over a month-and-a-half of playoffs, we finally have a champion.
The Los Angeles Kings won last night in double overtime, 3-2.
The game was tense throughout. The Rangers gave up an early lead but stormed back in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. Marian Gaborik, as usual, was in fine form and scored in the third to tie it up.
Those first three periods were just an appetizer to what has to be one of the greatest things in American sports: overtime playoff hockey. There were many things that stood out in those two overtime periods. Here are a couple:
How about Chris Kreider's breakaway at the end of the 1st OT?
There was the Rangers power play in the 2nd OT that looked like it might decide the game.
Rick Nash had a surefire winner but was deflected by Voynov's stick.
And of course, there's the game and Stanley Cup-clinching goal. Alec Martinez skated into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 rush, passed the puck, and was in position to grab the rebound that bounced off of Lundqvist. One shot later and it was all over. I watched the play live and on replay, and just watched the highlight again as I wrote. Honestly, it was an amazing play, and the finality of it just gave me the feeling of having my innards ripped out of my body.
I can't wait for next season to start. This journey, especially the playoffs and all the entries that I wrote about them, was incredible and I'm ready and willing to do it all over again in October.
Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings.
Los Angeles wins the series 4-1. They win the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons.
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