After Tampa Bays upset of Washington last year in the Eastern Conference, and the Nucks upset loss to Boston in the Cup Finals last year, I know this win has left a horrible taste in their mouth, and to start off his years play-offs in this fashion isn't gonna sit well with the "Nucks" so expect this one to be tied after game 2.
Jeff Carter whom has just come out of a medical boot due to a bone bruise to his ankle that kept him out of the final five games of the regular season has to thank that ankle........ When Canucks defense man Alexander Edler tied the game with 7.3 seconds left in the second period, but coughed up the puck just inside his own blue line and Mike Richard's' cross-ice pass bounced off the skate of Carter and straight to an unchecked Penner going to the net on the other side. Penner converted the bounce into the tie-breaking goal with 3:14 left to lift the Kings to a 4-2 victory and a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference Quarterfinal series against the Nucks at Rogers Arena on Wednesday night.
Although the Kings didn't qualify for the playoffs until its 81st game of the regular season, tonight it was all about the present and not allowing the ills of the past to affect their determination in this Game 1 match up. The play-offs are the beginning of a new season with greater possibilities. And the Kings capitalized with step 1. Great was the best way to describe every facet of their game play but Los Angeles, which came into the game ranked 17th (regular season) on the power play but on a run of eight goals in five games have acknowledged that the power play is where they need to improve if winning this series is their ultimate goal.
Game 2 is on Friday in Vancouver also, and if the Kings can play as balanced as they did last night and pull off another win on the home teams ice. This could become a very interesting 2012 NHL play-off tourney.
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