Okay, so first of all, I know this series is not over yet. But seeing as how the Los Angeles Kings, the 8th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs this year, sported a perfect 8-0 record on the road in these playoffs, it was absolutely crucial that the Devils win at least one of their first two homes games to be in good shape in this series.
Instead, they find themselves having dropped both games in overtime, and now in a discomforting position as the series shifts to Los Angeles, down 2 games to 0. The Devils did not even play poorly in Game 2, but the Kings are apparently just that tough. When you reach a perfect record of 10-0 on the road in the playoffs, then obviously you are for real.
So, now what? For the Devils, this is absolutely crucial. History has not been very kind to teams that fall behind 0-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals series, with only five teams having ever come back from such a deficit. However, two of those teams did it in recent years. That provides little comfort for the Devils right now, however. Each series is different, and the Devils cannot worry about history right now. They have a new challenge in this Los Angeles team, and they find themselves in serious trouble, as quickly as they could find themselves in it, and they now need to figure something out fast. Time is ticking away. There will not be many opportunities left for them, if they do not get something going immediately.
For the Kings, this marks the fourth time in these playoffs that they started off with a 2-0 lead by winning the first tow games on the road. I can go on and on with the accolades, because it really is an unbelievable accomplishment, but from the standpoint of the Devils, it was perhaps the key thing to try and avoid, because that is obviously not the kind of history that New Jersey wanted to see repeat itself.
But now, the Devils do have an opportunity to avoid repeating history even further, because the Kings not only won the first two games on the road in these playoffs against everyone that they faced, but in those earlier series, they managed to follow that up with a win in Game 3. If the Devils manage to win Game 3, then they will have become the first team to avoid that very desperate and imposing 0-3 hole, which is really insurmountable. So, obviously everything now has to go towards winning Game 3. They can buck the trend of history that way, and maybe that could spark something.
Maybe.
But I have to admit, this series was a little nerve wracking, seeing as how easily the Kings seemed to dispatch with their opponents in this incredible postseason run. If the Devils could win one of their first two home games, than maybe they would not be in terrible shape going into Los Angeles.
Maybe.
But they lost both games.
Now, maybe things will not be so bad, and even out a bit, if the Devils can manage to win Game 3.
Maybe.
But the truth be told, the Los Angeles Kings look just too tough this season. Looking at my train of thought, it all seems to suggest that the Kings not only are dictating the temp of play in this series, but will continue to do so, to boot. It feels like, no matter what the Devils can do or how well they can play, they have to hope for the Kings to have an off night, to screw up. That means that the Kings are dictating play, which they clearly are, and which they clearly have been in these playoffs. With two more wins remaining before they clinch their first ever Cup, it is hard to imagine that they will not win this thing now. It seems not so much a question of if, but rather when.
Let's see what happens in Game 3. Maybe the Devils can avoid the fate of the other recent opponents of the Kings, and avoid that seemingly hopeless 0-3 hole. But I will admit to not holding my breath.
The Kings look like they are destined to be crowned the new champions.
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