*THE FOLLOWING BELOW IS NOT WRITTEN BY THE ROYAL HALF,
BUT RATHER PUMPERNICHOLL, OUR MASTER RECAPPER*
KINGS 2, BLUES 1
Down 2-0 in the series and facing the possibility of being put on the brink of elimination, the Los Angeles Kings had to answer back in Game 3. The atmosphere inside Staples Center was a bit reserved. Sure, the defending Stanley Cup Champions were home for the first time in the playoffs, but they were trailing in the series, their ace goaltender seemed rattled, and it just didn't seem like the team was poised for another run.
But a strange thing happened as the game progressed. Once Slava Voynov scored the game's lone goal in the 2nd period, it's almost as if the fans realized this team did still had it. The belief carried over to Game 4, where despite falling in the hole early, the Kings battled back and evened the series.
There will always be a large majority of the fanbase that will expect the worse even when things are going well. It's been engrained in our hockey DNA. Small victories on the path to ultimate heartbreak is all this franchise had known for four decades. But now, the culture is changing right before our eyes.
The Kings were no longer a team we wanted to win, they have become a team we expect to win. While this belief may just lead to more dejection for fans, it's not something people seem to be concerned about any longer.
This was never more evident than in Game 6, where it became clear that fans hadn't shown up to watch a game, they came to see the Kings win.
Let's see how it all played out:
PREGAME:
There's only
one JC in this series I care about.
Renegade is ready for Game 6. Are you?
I'm sure this is the last time we see that obscene phrase.
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