2014 Stanley Cup Finals Open Thread

This open thread will be the game thread for all games in the Finals. If the comments section gets too full, I will make another thread!

FINALS SCHEDULE

All games televised on CBC, NBC and RDS

Game 1: 3-2 Kings (OT)

Game 2: 5-4 Kings (OT)

Game 3: 3-0 Kings

Game 4: 2-1 Rangers

Game 5: SUCK IT, RANGERS!

Game 6: Monday, 5:00 PST

Game 7: Wednesday, 5:00 PST

TEAM STATS

RANGERS	CATEGORY	KINGS
45-31-6	SEASON RECORD	46-28-8
96	POINTS	100
11th	NHL RANK	10th
20	PLAYOFF GAMES PLAYED	21
6-4-0	PLAYOFF HOME RECORD	5-4-0
6-4-0	PLAYOFF ROAD RECORD	7-5-0
2.70 (8)	GOALS PER GAME AVERAGE	3.48 (1)
2.25 (2)	GOALS AGAINST PER GAME AVERAGE	2.86 (9)
1.33 (1)	5 ON 5 GF / GA	1.19 (4)
13.6 (10)	POWER PLAY %	25.4 (5)
85.9 (2)	PENALTY KILL %	81.2 (9)
47.5 (12)	FACEOFF WINS %	52.9 (2)
587 (2)	HITS	898 (1)
331 (2)	BLOCKED SHOTS	314 (4)
83	MINOR PENALTIES TAKEN	97
NHL.COM

TOP 3 SCORERS

Rangers:

1. St. Louis: 6-7-13

2. Stepan: 5-8-13

3. McDonagh: 3-10-13

Kings:

1. Kopitar: 5-19-24

2. Carter: 9-13-22

3. Gaborik: 12-7-19

GENERAL MSM PROGNOSIS

-13 of 15 NHL.com peeps/pros are picking the Kings to win this series.

-TSN's Scott Cullen:

It would be an upset if the Rangers won the series but a seven-game series, if otherwise close, can easily be decided by goaltending and, right now, it's not unreasonable to hold higher expectations for Lundqvist. Let's see if King Henrik can get the job done.

-72.4% of TSN's readers think the Kings will win the Cup.

From Fox Sports:

You won't see a "C'' on a blue shirt this series. If the Rangers win the Stanley Cup, they don't have a captain to raise it after trading Ryan Callahan in March. That role is being played unofficially by Brad Richards, a healthy scratch in last season's playoffs and a potential salary-cap casualty this summer.

WHAT TO EXPECT

-Violence! Big hits and physical series, lots of between the whistle bru-ha-ha.

-Hey Nash and Richards: step up and earn your big $$$ contracts

-Lundqvist is better than Quick

-The Kings never quit, and have made their lives hell getting to the Finals. Fatigue factor given that and their wars leading to the Finals? I swear the Rangers have had it "easier".

-The Martin St. Louis and mates rallying around his wounded soul from the death of his mother storyline. It's a beauty. These guys go to war for each other.

-Will the Kings' goals-for average plummet against the Rangers?

-Lots of 1994 references for the Rangers-Canucks finals. Gag!

-Alain Vigneault storylines. GAG!

-Gaborik and his 12 goals so far....unreal.

FROM TWITTER

F*** Twitter and all the celebrities attached to it.

PREDICTION

Against all odds, Rangers take it in 6. GAG!

********************************

(Frothing at the mouth rant from Yankee Canuck is as follows)

My fellow cohort has had his say. As I hike up my pants and ready the hose to ward off those damn kids near my precious lawn - my Yellow Trilliums are coming in beautifully, thank you - I must chime in with an equally discerning declaration:

Rot in the fiery depths of hell New York

Right off the top, you did this and this. I hate that numbers we hang from our rafters are sullied by your crest.

That 's an ideal segue to another rafter hanger who you did this too. An apology wouldn't kill. Meanwhile you still drop to your knees in praise of this "man" who five seconds later did this which caused this and this by which point your "man" scurried home for a stupid photo op and, through more tears, promised you another Cup which eventually looked like this. Occasionally he'll crawl out from underneath is rock to look like this. Congratulations.

For every high-end to flash in the pan mercenary grab you've run at over the years in a failed attempted at reclaiming quick glory - this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this,
this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this - congratulations on trying to emulate the Yankees only with significantly worse results.

Oh, you fell assbackwards into the only player that got you this far? Makes perfect sense.

You deserve no sympathy, no adulation and certainly no support. You're the Boston Bruins without the talent or earned swagger (and you're damned lucky you escaped without playing them too). You've made us Kings fans - of which we are not - that is just the sour lime chaser to the rotten tequila shot that was the 2013-14 Vancouver Canucks season.

Go Willie Mitchell.

Go Kings.

Give us John Stevens.

And end this horrible season immediately.