NY Rangers Live to See Game 5
12 Jun, 2014
Henrik Lundqvist and some soft ice in front of his net kept the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup finals.
Lundqvist made 40 saves in the Rangers’ 2-1 victory in Game 4 that kept the Los Angeles Kings from a sweep on Wednesday night. Twice Los Angeles put the puck on the goal line without getting it all the way across.
The last came with 1:11 left in the game when Rangers forward Derek Stepan pushed the puck out of danger after it got behind Lundqvist.
“It’s probably the product of moving a lot,” Lundqvist said. “I stay deep in the net, so there’s a lot of snow there.”
“I thought I had it because I felt the puck, felt like I got a good piece of it on that deflection. I was yelling at the ref to blow the whistle. Then I realized it was behind me for a couple seconds.”
Benoit Pouliot and Martin St. Louis each scored for the Rangers. Los Angeles leads the series 3-1 and will get its second shot to claim the Cup for the second time in three years Friday night at home.
“We would have liked to finish it tonight, but having the next game back at home, that is where we are comfortable,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lundqvist is the first goaltender to record at least 40 saves in an elimination regulation win in the Cup finals since the NHL began recording saves as an official statistic in the 1950s.
The Rangers also have won an NHL-record eight consecutive home games when facing elimination, dating to 2008, behind Lundqvist.
The Kings pressed for the tying goal in the third period and outshot the Rangers 15-1 in the frame and 41-19 overall.
AP
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