New Jersey Devils stave off NHL elimination again

NEWARK, New Jersey (AFP) –

Los Angeles Kings’ Jonathan Quick (2nd R) stops a shot by New Jersey Devils’ Travis Zajac (L) during game five of their NHL Stanley Cup Final on June 9. New Jersey staved off elimination by beating Los Angeles 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final.

Zach Parise scored a power-play goal and Bryce Salvador added another on a lucky bounce as New Jersey staved off elimination, beating Los Angeles 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final.

New Jersey spoiled the Kings’ second attempt to clinch the National Hockey League title after losing the first three games. The Devils now trail in the series 3-2 and can level it with a win in game six on Monday in Los Angeles.

“It is nice to contribute,” Parise said. “I thought we played well and fortunately something went in tonight.

“The bottom line is we won the game and now we go back to Los Angeles.”

Goaltender Martin Brodeur stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Devils, who also snapped the Kings’ playoff road win streak at 10 games.

The Devils still have a mountain to climb to earn their fourth Stanley Cup. Only three teams have clambered out of a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series in NHL history.

New Jersey Devils’ Zach Parise (L) scores a goal during the first period in game five of their NHL Stanley Cup Final on June 9. Parise opened the scoring not long after on a blunder by Los Angeles Kings’ Jonathan Quick.

Only one team has ever done it in the Stanley Cup Final. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for four straight wins to defeat the Detroit Red Wings.

While the Devils looked slow and flatfooted in the first three games, they were the harder-working and speedier team for the first time in the series, winning battles for loose pucks along the boards and in front of the goal.

The Kings hit several goalposts in game five but ultimately Brodeur’s experience won out over Quick’s youthful exuberance.

“He won the game for us,” Parise said of Brodeur. “When we weren’t playing well he bailed us out so many times.”

Quick had seemed unbeatable for long stretches of the 2012 playoffs but he looked vulnerable from the outset of game five.

Devils’ forward Travis Zajac almost scored on a strange play halfway through the first period as he squeezed a shot through the legs of Quick.

The puck came out behind Quick spinning backwards away from the goal line and was finally cleared out of harm by a Kings defenceman.

Los Angeles Kings’ Dustin Brown (R) goes for a loose puck as New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur defends during game five of their NHL Stanley Cup Final on June 9. Brodeur stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Devils.

Devils captain Parise opened the scoring not long after on a blunder by Quick. Parise scored 12:45 into the first when Quick mishandled the puck at the side of his net.

Quick came out of his crease and tried to clear it around the boards but fanned on the shot and it was picked up on the other side of the net by Parise, who put it into the empty cage.

The Devils needed a strong game and got it Saturday from captain Parise, who had been missing in action through the first four games. It was Parise’s first point of the final series.

Salvador scored 9:05 into the second period for New Jersey. His long shot from the point deflected off the back of Kings’ defenseman Slava Voynov and off the far post into the net to make it 2-1.

Justin Williams scored the lone Kings goal.

“I think we’ve got to be much better with the puck. We threw it away too much,” Parise said.

The Kings had won all 10 of their road games in the 2012 playoffs, including a pair of 2-1 over-time triumphs in the first two games of this series.

The Kings seek their first championship since entering the league as an expansion team in 1967. They are also trying to become the first eighth seed to win a Stanley Cup.

“We thought we played well coming out of gate and they ended up being up 1-0 after the first period,” Kings forward Colin Fraser said. “We are going home for game six and we have worked hard to put us in a good position.”