Stanley Cup Final: Kings beat Rangers, 3-2, in Game 1 overtime

It wasn’t Game 7, but it will do for the Kings' Justin Williams.

Williams flicked a shot 4 minutes 36 seconds into overtime past goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to give the Kings a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center on Wednesday night. Game 2 will be Saturday at Staples Center.

Williams has made a career out of Game 7 heroics. He has seven goals and 14 points, winning all seven series finales. He was there in overtime for the Kings.

A turnover by Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi left the puck with Kings center Mike Richards near the blue line. He found Williams slipping down the slot. Williams had a clear shot at the net.

It prevented the Kings from wondering what might have been.

Kyle Clifford and Drew Doughty also scored for the Kings. Clifford also had an assist. Benoit Pouliot and Carl Hagelin scored for the Rangers.

The Kings dominated the third period, but couldn’t solve Lundqvist. He stopped all 20 shots in the third period to keep the Stanley Cup Final opener score tied, 2-2, after three periods.

The Rangers had only three shots in the third period. The last nearly won the game.

The Kings were on a power play, with Rangers center Brian Boyle sent off for slashing. But Hagelin picked up a loose puck and burst up ice on a breakaway. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick managed to get his glove on the shot, sending the puck over the net with 30 seconds left.

It put the Kings in overtime for the third time in their last four games.

The Rangers did not have a shot for 12 minutes in the third period. Then right wing Martin St. Louis came in alone, lined up a shot, and flicked the puck on net. Quick extended himself to get his left shoulder on the puck.

Lundqvist, meanwhile, was overworked. He stopped 20 shots in the third period and 40 of 43 for the game. Quick finished with 25 saves.

The Rangers jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Pouliot picked the puck off defenseman Drew Doughty’s stick near the Rangers’ blue line and raced up ice and beat Quick high for a 1-0 lead 13 minutes 21 seconds into the game.

Hagelin made it 2-0 less than two minutes later, but he had some help from Kings defenseman Slava Voynov. First Voynov let Hagelin by him at the blue. Hagelin got off a backhand shot that Quick stopped, but the puck caromed off Voynov and into the net for a short-handed goal.

A little hard work cut the lead in half. Jeff Carter chased down a turnover behind the Rangers' net. He then flipped it toward the crease. Kyle Clifford nearly fanned on the shot, but got enough of the puck to knock it over Lundqvist’s shoulder and into the net.

The goal was Clifford’s first since Dec. 11 and ended a playoff scoring drought at 37 games. His last playoff goal was against San Jose on April 23, 2011.

Doughty tied the score, 2-2, 6:36 into the second period. He danced around one defender and pushed toward the net. He then deked Lundqvist to the ice and flipped a shot that glanced off the goalie's shoulder and into the net.

It was Doughty’s 17th point in the playoffs, breaking his own team record for defensemen.

Kings 3, Rangers 2 (final)

Justin Williams parlays a turnover into the game-winning goal 4 minutes 36 seconds into overtime.

The Kings were on the attack when Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi corralled the puck. But his pass along the boards went directly to Kings center Mike Richards, who found Justin Williams in the middle of the ice less than 25 feet from the goal.

Williams' shot beat Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to the short side of the goal.

Kings 2, Rangers 2 (end of third period)

Overtime again.

The Kings dominated the third period in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at Staples Center, but couldn’t solve New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. He stopped all 20 shots in the third period to keep the score tied, 2-2, through three periods in the series opener.

The Kings gutted out an overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday.

The Rangers had only three shots in the third period. The last nearly won the game.

The Kings were on the power play after Ranger center Brian Boyle was sent off for slashing. But Rangers left wing Carl Hagelin picked up a puck and burst up ice on a breakaway. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick managed to get his glove on the shot, sending the puck over the net with 30 seconds left.

Hagelin and Benoit Pouliot have scored for the Rangers. Drew Doughty and Kyle Clifford have scored for the Kings.

It was Doughty’s 17th point of the playoffs, which broke his own team record. Clifford’s goal was his first since Dec. 11 against Toronto, a span of 37 games.

Kings 2, Rangers 2 (1:36 left in third period)

The Kings will play the final one and a half minutes on a power play against the Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight.

Rangers center Brian Boyle was caught slashing the stick of Kings forward Dwight King just after a faceoff with 1 minute 36 seconds left in the third period.

Kings 2, Rangers 2 (midway through third period)

The Kings have dominated the third period in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at Staples Center, at least in taking shots.

In the first 10 minutes, the Kings put 13 shots on goal without letting the Rangers take one. And that includes the Kings killing off a two-minute penalty.

The Kings had 35 shots on goal compared to New York's 23. Los Angeles also leads in hits, 40-26, but the Rangers have taken the lead in faceoffs won, 25-24.

Kings 2, Rangers 2 (end of second period)

The Kings settled down, and got even in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at Staples Center.

Drew Doughty’s fifth goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs left Game 1 tied after two periods.

The New York Rangers maybe deserved better through the first 40 minutes. They had gobs of opportunities through two periods. They were constantly in goaltender Jonathan Quick’s face. A few Rangers could have had their mail delivered to the crease.

The Kings, and Quick, endured.

Doughty, whose first-period blunder led to the Rangers' first goal, made up for it. He danced around one defender and pushed toward the net. His wrist shot went off goaltender Henrik Lundqvist's should and into the net to tie the score 6 minutes 36 seconds into the second period.

Quick stopped all nine shots in the second period and has 20 saves for the game. Lundqvist has stopped 19 of 21 shots.

Benoit Poulit and Carl Hagelin scored for the Rangers in the first period. Kyle Clifford scored for the Kings. And the Kings had no one to blame but themselves.

Poulit’s goal followed a gaffe by defenseman Doughty, who had the puck taken off his stick near the Rangers’ blue line. Poulit raced up ice and beat goaltender Quick high for a 1-0 lead 13:21 seconds into the game.

Hagelin made it 2-0 less than two minutes later, but he had some help from Kings defenseman Slava Voynov. First Voynov let Hagelin by him at the blue line. Hagelin got off a backhand shot that Quick stopped. But the puck caromed off Voynov and into the net for a short-handed goal.

A little hard work cut the lead in half. Jeff Carter chased down a turnover behind the Rangers' net. He then flipped it to Clifford, who chipped it in from the crease with three minutes left in the first period.

The Kings' Jarret Stoll made a big save in the first period. A puck bounced from behind the net directly to Rick Nash, who had a wide open net as he crashed in from Quick’s right. Stoll managed to get his stick in the way, deflecting the shot high and wide.

Kings 2, Rangers 2 (13:24 left in second period)

Drew Doughty makes up for his first-period mistake.

The Kings defenseman did an ice-dancing bit around one defender that included a between-his-own-legs pass, then pulled up near the crease and baited goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to the ice.

Doughty flicked a wrist shot off the goaltender's shoulder and into the net to tie the score in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at Staples Center.

Rangers 2, Kings 1 (end of first period)

It was familiar turf, or ice, for the Kings. They are in a hole.

Play was brisk, and play was sloppy, in the first period of the Stanley Cup Final opener tonight at Staples Center. As a result, the New York Rangers will take a 2-1 lead into the second period.

Benoit Poulit and Carl Hagelin scored for the Rangers. Kyle Clifford scored for the Kings. And the Kings had no one to blame but themselves.

Poulit’s goal followed a gaffe by defenseman Drew Doughty, who had the puck taken off his stick near the Rangers’ blue line. Poulit raced up ice and beat goaltender Jonathan Quick with a shot that clipped the crossbar for a 1-0 lead 13 minutes 21 seconds into the game.

Hagelin made it 2-0 less than two minutes later, but he had some help from Kings defenseman Slava Voynov. First Voynov let Hagelin by him at the blue line while the Kings were on a power play. Hagelin got off a backhand shot that Quick stopped. But the puck caromed off Voynov into the net.

A little hard work cut the lead in half. Jeff Carter chased down a turnover behind the Rangers net. He then flipped it to Kyle Clifford, who chipped it in from the crease at 17 minutes.

Quick stopped 11 of 13 shots in the first period. Teammate Jarret Stoll stopped one. A puck bounced from behind the net directly to Rick Nash, who had a wide open net as he crashed in from Quick’s right. Stoll managed to get his stick in the way, deflecting the shot high and wide. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 13 of 14 shots for the Rangers.

Rangers 2, Kings 1 (2:27 left in first period)

Kings get a greasy goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at Staples Center.

Center Jeff Carter chased down a turnover behind the Rangers net. He then flipped it off teammate Kyle Clifford's stick and into the net.

Rangers 2, Kings 0 (4:47 left in first period)

The Rangers don’t need any help in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, but the Kings provide it anyway.

Carl Hagelin flew past Kings defenseman Slava Voynov and zeroed in on goaltender Jonathan Quick, who stopped his shot. But the puck went off Voynov’s stick and into the net.

To make matters worse, it came while the Kings were on the power play.

Rangers 1, Kings 0 (6:39 left in first period)

An outstanding individual effort gives the Rangers the first lead of Game 1 in the Stanley Cup Final tonight at Staples Center.

Benoit Pouliot took the puck off the stick of Kings defenseman Drew Doughty then burst up ice past stumbling defenseman Jake Muzzin on a breakaway. Goaltender Jonathan Quick had no chance on Pouliot’s wrist shot.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers, is underway at Staples Center.

The Kings, who won the NHL title in 2012 behind goaltender Jonathan Quick and a stingy defense, have been on the attack early against the Rangers, getting seven shots in the opening eight minutes. New York has put four shots on goal.

As per usual, the Kings have also been the more physical squad, delivering 12 of the first 14 hits in the game. They have also won four of the five faceoffs.

The Kings have been called for the first penalty, with defenseman Alec Martinez getting sent off for hooking Rangers left wing Carl Hagelin with 10 minutes 48 seconds left in the first period. The Rangers, though, could not take advantage on the power play, getting three shots in two minutes but failing to score.

The Kings are the only NHL team to win three Game 7s on the road in one postseason. They are also only the second team to be 7-0 in must-win games in one postseason and only the fourth team to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series. And they didn't have the lead against Chicago in their latest decisive game until winning in overtime.