New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 live stream free will begin at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 4, 2014. The Rangers will visit the Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Information on how to watch the Rangers vs. Kings or Kings vs. Rangers Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 on live stream free can be found below.
The Rangers will enter the Finals after defeating the Montreal Canadiens with four wins and two losses. The Kings, on the other hand, beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks with 5-4 in Game 7 win.
Rangers' goalie Henry Lundqvist has a save percentage of .966, and Kings' goalies Ben Scrivens has 94.3 percent and Jonathan Quick has 89.3 percent.
The Rangers rode the momentum of overcoming a 3-1 deficit in their Eastern Conference Second Round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins and then continued their winning streak past the Canadiens. If they win the Finals, it will be their first Stanley Cup in 20 years.
The Kings had a hard fight against the stronger Western Conference teams, but edged their way to the Finals. Los Angeles are considered the favorite as they had to beat the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Blackhawks, three of the top seven teams in the NHL's overall standings this year.
The Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012, and they are looking to reclaim that title. But the Rangers have a different aspiration as they attempt to accomplish what their predecessors were unable to do in last two decades - bring home the trophy.
In the playoffs, the Kings' leading players include Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik, Justin Williams, and Drew Doughty. Kopitar has five goals, 19 assists, and 24 points; Carter has 9 goals, 13 assists and 22 points; Gaborik has 12 goals, 7 assists, and 19 points, and he has also attempted 65 shots, the most than any of his teammates; Williams has seven goals, 11 assists, and 18 points; Doughty has four goals, 12 assists and 16 points.
Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick has 628 save attempts and allowed 59 goals in the Playoffs, and Rangers' goalie Lundqvist has allowed 39 goals out of 543 save attempts, resulting in a 92.8 percent blocks. Lundqvist had his lowest save percentage in Game 4 against the Canadiens, but refocused in Game 5 with 18 blocks with 0 goals allowed.
Although the Blackhawks won Game 1 and was up 2-0 at the beginning of Game 2. The Kings shelled Hawks' goaltender Corey Crawford for five goals on 30 shots in third quarter, resulting in 5 consecutive goals with no returned goals from Chicago.
While Kings lost in Game 1, they made similar offensive attacks with 17 shot attempts and forced a goal. They regrouped and regained their confidence after Game 2.
Coming into the Final, the Kings mounted an incredible comeback after trailing 3-0 in the best-of-7 series against the San Jose Sharks. And they not only forced a Game 7, but overpowered their northern California rival to proceed to the Western Conference Final.
Before making the comeback, Kings player held onto the mentality of possibility to rally from a 3-0 deficit, and they did it one game at a time.
"You just can't look at the mountain and expect to do it all at once. It's a process to just put games together, put shifts together. And it starts with Thursday night. You can't win four unless you win one," said Mike Richards, who along with Jeff Carter was part of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers that rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Boston Bruins with four straight wins.
Given Kings' mental toughness, the prediction is that Kings will emerge as the 2014 Stanley Cup champion in seven games.
The Kings Radio Network - spearheaded by flagship radio station KTLK AM 1150 (a Clear Channel Communications property) - takes exciting Kings action to the outer reaches of Southern California and beyond. (Listen Live)
Rangers vs. Kings Finals Game 1 will be televised nationally on NBC Sports and CBC (Canada), and locally on RDS, and HD quality online live stream can be watched free without any subscriptions at NBCSports.com/LiveExtra.
