The rallies are becoming completely natural for the Los Angeles Kings, and in a postseason where things have ultimately bounced positively their way, they sit just three wins away from winning their second Stanley Cup in three years.
Justin Williams nailed his eighth goal of the postseason, being part of another clutch shot 4:36 into overtime in a 3-2 victory. Similar to the last game out in Game 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks, the New York Rangers capitalized on their speed and jumped to an 2-0 lead in the first period.
It didn't last long. Kyle Clifford hit his first goal of the postseason a little over two minutes after the Rangers took the two-goal lead. The game-tying shot by Drew Doughty was assisted by both Clifford and Williams. The third period ensued as a classic defensive-driven period for the Kings with no goals scored.
After the slow start, the Kings took control of the game and grabbed the momentum. Suddenly, the Rangers didn't seem as fast as they were out of the gate, and a defensive gaffe by both Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh left Williams wide open.
Doughty deferred to Williams with praise after the game, saying he doesn't get enough credit for what he does [via NHL.com].
"I've said this many times: Justin is the most underrated player on our team by a mile, he doesn't get enough credit for what he does," said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty[.]
Indeed, Williams has a career-high 20 points in the postseason (8 goals, 12 assists). He capitalized on a costly mistake by the Rangers and that's one of the reasons why the Kings are where they're currently at.
Los Angeles holds the early 1-0 lead in the series and play resumes on Saturday night. The puck drops at 6:00 PM Central time and it will be televised on NBC.
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