LA Kings crowned Stanley Cup champions for 1st time, eliminating Devils in Game 6

The Los Angeles Kings won their first Stanley Cup since the franchise was founded in 1967, eliminating the New Jersey Devils in Game 6, 6-1, on Monday night.

Goalie Jonathan Quick was given the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.

Dustin Brown had a 3-point night, and Jeff Carter and Trevor Lewis each had two goals in the Kings' victory, the crowning achievement for one of the most improbable postseason journeys in NHL history.

They're the first No. 8 seed to ever win the Stanley Cup. They tied an NHL record for road wins, going 10-1 away from home before winning the Cup on Staples Center ice. Overall, the Kings were 16-4 in the playoffs -- one of the best records in decades for a Stanley Cup champion.

[Photos: Kings celebrate beating Devils for first Stanley Cup title]

In the regular season, they fired coach Terry Murray 29 games into the season in favor of Darryl Sutter, who won his first Cup. They made a gutsy, blockbuster trade for Jeff Carter of the Columbus Blue Jackets during near the deadline, and he scored twice in the Cup-clinching game.

The Devils, meanwhile, fell short in their attempt to become the first time since 1942 to rally from an 0-3 deficit to win the Stanley Cup.

It was a game that turned on a brutal boarding penalty — both in timing and result — by Devils forward Steve Bernier on Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi, bloodying the Los Angeles veteran with a hit from behind at the end boards at 10:10 of the first period.

The hit — arriving moments after a non-call on Kings forward Jarret Stoll for a hit from behind on the Devils' Steven Gionta near the benches — resulted in a 5-minute power play for the Kings.

The Kings entered the game with the third-worst power play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (10.6 percent).

They struck three times on that major penalty power play, burying the Devils early in the game.

At 11:03, captain Dustin Brown struck, as Mike Richards deftly moved the puck to Drew Doughty, who found Brown for a perfect deflection through the pads of Devils goalie Marty Brodeur. The team that scored the first goal won each game of the Stanley Cup Final.

At 12:45, it was Jeff Carter of the Kings to make it 2-0, tipping home a Brown shot from in front of Brodeur.

At 15:01, with nine seconds remaining on the power play, Trevor Lewis scored the third goal with a backhand at point blank range against Brodeur:

The Kings would take a 4-0 lead in the second period on another Carter goal, on a strange play that included linesman Pierre Racicot accidentally setting a pick on a Devils defenseman. The Devils cut it to 4-1 with a late second-period goal by Adam Henrique.

Lewis added an empty net goal, and Matt Greene scored another late in the third period to complete the 6-1 rout.

The Devils were undisciplined from the opening whistle, looking disorganized as the Kings peppered Brodeur with 13 shots in the first period. New Jersey entered the game with the third-fewest penalty minutes per game in the playoffs with 8.7; they had 47 PIMs to the Kings' 6.

That allowed the Kings to carry play like they hadn't in consecutive losses tot he Devils. The New Jersey did get their chances, Quick was there, making 15 saves.

Quick was one of the players that helped the Kings dominate on the road. But in Game 6, it was a party in LA for the Kings and their fans -- the famous ones like David Beckham and Matthew Perry, and the long-suffering ones that had waited decades to see this team do what Wayne Gretzky couldn't do in the Kings' only other trip to the Final in 1993: Bring hockey's Holy Grail to Hollywood for the first time in 45 years.

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