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June 6, 2012

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Kings remain on course for title

THE Los Angeles Kings rolled to the brink of the club's first NHL title, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-0 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday to take a 3-0 series lead.

Jonathan Quick made 22 saves in his third shutout of the postseason, and Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as the Western Conference champion Kings moved one win away from finishing one of the most spectacular playoff runs in league history.

Alec Martinez scored the opening goal for the Kings, and Jeff Carter and Justin Williams added late powerplay goals.

Eighth-seeded Los Angeles improved to 15-2 in the postseason and jumped to a 3-0 lead in its fourth straight series, a first in NHL history.

Game 4 is tonight at Staples Center.

Martin Brodeur stopped 17 shots, but the Devils couldn't beat the spectacular Quick or his penalty-killers, who turned aside six power plays. New Jersey must accomplish just the fourth comeback from an 0-3 series deficit in NHL playoff history to win its third title.

After opening their first Stanley Cup finals appearance in 19 years with two overtime victories in New Jersey, the Kings survived another solid performance early in Game 3 by the Devils, who had ample opportunity to take an early lead.

New Jersey has been pretty good in the finals, but nothing has been able to slow down these Kings, who seem destined to become the first No. 8 seed to win the Stanley Cup.

The Devils had never lost three straight Stanley Cup finals games in the franchise's five appearances. New Jersey hadn't lost three straight games this season since late February.

The Kings had to survive their early nerves from playing in front of their title-starved fans, and they barely hung on at times against the Devils' dynamic forechecking in the first two periods. They got another peerless performance from Quick, who has allowed just 24 goals in 17 playoff games - just two in the finals.



 

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