Reigning champion Golden Kings open season with victory

The bj-league's eighth season tipped off on Saturday with three games, and the defending champion Ryukyu Golden Kings defeated the host Kyoto Hannaryz 82-73 in Koto Toyama's first game at the helm.

Toyama coached the Miyazaki Shining Suns during the past two seasons before being named the third head coach in Ryukyu history.

(Official game statistics were unavailable at press time, eight hours after the 3 p.m. tipoff.)

Big Bulls 88, Albirex BB 82

In Niigata, Dai Oketani, who guided Ryukyu to a pair of championships, earned a victory in his first game on the bench for the Tohoku franchise, now in its second season.

Former Ryukyu center Dillion Sneed had 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds for Iwate.

After the game, Sneed summed up the season-opening win this way on Facebook: "Positive start to the season right there."

Longtime Sendai 89ers guard Kenichi Takahashi scored 20 points, including 10-for-12 at the free-throw line, for Iwate, while fellow newcomer Reggie Okosa had 14 points. Marquette University product Lawrence Blackledge scored 12, grabbed nine boards and blocked six shots. Masato Tsukino sank three 3-pointers and contributed 11 points in the victory.

For Niigata, forward Rodney Webb had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Nile Murry scored 17 and Chris Holm grabbed 12 rebounds.

An announced crowd of 3,189 attended the game.

89ers 63, Phoenix 61

In Hamamatsu, Sendai edged the hosts in a defensive struggle that went down the wire.

The teams shot a combined 46-for-148 from the field.

It was Hamamatsu Higashimikawa's first game as a member of the Western Conference after a distinguished four-season stint in the Eastern Conference, which included two championships and a championship runnerup finish last season.

"We're just happy to open the season with a win on the road against a great team like Hamamatsu," Sendai coach Bob Pierce told The Japan Times. "We came out running — 22 points in the first quarter — but then Hamamatsu's defense toughened up."

In the fourth quarter, Sendai trailed 52-45, but rallied back to take a six-point edge, 63-57, with 2 minutes remaining.

"That 18-5 run was what saved us despite some overall sloppy play throughout," Pierce said.

89ers newcomer Sam Willard, a University of the Pacific product, had 15 rebounds in his bj-league debut. He scored six of his seven points in the fourth quarter. Pierce called his fourth-quarter offensive output "six hard-earned points ... (that) were part of our run to re-take the lead for good."

Kevin Coble, who played college ball at Northwestern University, scored a team-best 17 points for Sendai, and DePaul product Karron Clarke "did a little bit of everything," the Sendai coach said, noting his strong defense and nine rebounds.

Sendai captain and fan favorite Takehiko Shimura poured in 16 points, handed out four assists and made three steals. Guard Yasuaki Arai, a former Saitama Bronco, had six points and four assists in his first game for the 89ers.

For the Phoenix, Kevin Galloway (Texas Southern) had 20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists and one-time MVP Jeffrey Parmer (Florida Atlantic) scored 18 points and raked in 12 rebounds, while 211-cm Elbert Fuqua (Texas-San Antonio) had nine points and 11 boards.

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Kings' Doughty investigated for rape

HERMOSA BEACH, California — Police are investigating date rape allegations against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty stemming from an encounter with a woman at a Southern California seaside bar.

Doughty's attorney Craig Renetzky confirmed Tuesday that Hermosa Beach police were investigating the woman's sexual assault allegations against Doughty, and said the district attorney's office is expected to decide this week whether to file charges. He would give no further details.

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Kings close in on Cup

Too close for comfort: Los Angeles' Jarret Stoll (left) and New Jersey's Bryce Salvador collide as Devils goalie Martin Brodeur makes a save during the Kings' 4-0 win on Monday. AP

LOS ANGELES — Everybody in the sold-out building sensed a crucial moment of the Stanley Cup finals when the New Jersey Devils got a two-man advantage early in a scoreless Game 3. The Devils threw every star and every scheme at the Los Angeles net, desperate for a power-play goal to turn around the series.

Jonathan Quick and his three penalty-killers coolly stopped everything, including the Devils' momentum.

Nothing has slowed down these Kings during one of the most spectacular playoff runs in NHL history — and now they are one win away from their Hollywood ending.

Quick made 22 saves in his third shutout of the postseason, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams each had a goal and an assist, and the Kings rolled to the brink of the franchise's first title, beating New Jersey 4-0 on Monday night to take a 3-0 series lead.

Alec Martinez scored the opening goal, and Jeff Carter and Williams added late power-play goals for the Kings, who improved to an astonishing 15-2 in the postseason.

"I don't think we're too surprised," said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who has scored in every game of the finals. "We know we have a great team in here. Before this game, it easily could have been 2-0 for them. It is a tight series, but at the same time, we are really confident with the team we have in here."

And with good reason: The Western Conference's eighth-seeded team has jumped to a 3-0 lead in its fourth straight series — a feat never accomplished in NHL history before these seemingly charmed Kings steamrolled every opponent in their path.

Game 4 is Wednesday night at Los Angeles.

"We're almost where we're trying to go, but we haven't won anything yet," captain Dustin Brown said. "We know what we have a chance to do, though. Having an opportunity to win a championship here could get rid of a lot of frustration for a lot of people."

Martin Brodeur stopped 17 shots, but the Devils couldn't beat the impenetrable Quick or his penalty-killers, who turned aside six power plays — none bigger than a 60-second kill during 5-on-3 play late in the first period that left the Kings' fans standing and roaring.

"I think the (penalty-kill) was the difference in the game," the 26-year-old Quick said.

The relative youngster in black has outplayed the 40-year-old Brodeur, and New Jersey must accomplish just the fourth comeback from an 0-3 series deficit in NHL playoff history to win its fourth title.

"It's not the best situation," Brodeur said. "It's probably the worst situation you could be in — no, it is the worst situation you could be in. But we believe in ourselves. We're going to compete as hard as we can, and the result will be there one way or another. . . . We're just facing a team right now that's doing everything right."

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.

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Kings edge Devils in opener

NEWARK, New Jersey — East. West. It doesn't make a difference to the Los Angeles Kings.

First blood: New Jersey's Patrik Elias (left) and Los Angeles' Trevor Lewis battle for the puck during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday. The Kings won 2-1 in overtime. AP

All they have done in the playoffs is win and the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils became their latest victim.

Anze Kopitar scored a spectacular goal on a breakaway with 11:47 left in overtime Wednesday night and the Kings beat the Devils 2-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals.

"From a series standpoint, it's huge to put them behind us, right off the get-go," Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown said. "It makes it a little more difficult for them to get back into it if we play our game and do the right things."

Kopitar did everything perfectly on his breakaway after taking a great chip pass from Justin Williams. He faked a backhand shot, put the puck on his forehand and beat a prone Martin Brodeur.

"All losses this time of year are really hard to take because your dream is slowly shutting down," Brodeur said. "We lost one game, there's six games left in this series. They need to win three. We need to win four."

Los Angeles has won all nine of its road games in the playoffs, an NHL record. The Kings are now one win shy of tying the NHL record for postseason road victories.

More importantly, they are three wins away from the franchise's first NHL title since entering the league in 1967-68. They have won 11 consecutive road playoff games dating back to last season.

Los Angeles is now 13-2 this postseason.

Kopitar saw Justin Williams battling with Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador and forward Dainius Zubrus along the boards.

"I wanted to make sure I went to the middle," Kopitar said. "I don't know if he heard me or not, but I yelled for the puck and he chipped it. It was perfect, right on my tape. It happened pretty quick and I was able to finish it off."

As soon as he rifled the puck into the net, Kopitar raised his hands and banged himself into the boards, facing the crowd off to Brodeur's right.

"To put it past a goaltender like Marty," Kopitar said, "is a good feeling."

The veteran goaltender dejectedly skated off to the locker room as the rest of the Kings piled on Kopitar.

Williams said his setup was a prayer.

"I just threw an area pass," he said. "I hoped that he was alone and he was. I've played with him a long time. You just kind of feel it. If it wasn't there, it would have went to nobody.

"It was a no-lose situation."

This is the third straight series in which the Devils have lost the first game.

"I think it was probably the worst game in the playoffs for us," said Devils leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk, who was limited to one shot. "Maybe we were a little too nervous before the game started, but it's all excuses. We've got to make sure we know what we didn't do right, and be a different team next game."

Fourth-line center Colin Fraser scored in the first period for Los Angeles, the No. 8 seed in the West which beat the top three teams to get to its first Stanley Cup finals since 1993.

Anton Volchenkov tied it late in the second period for New Jersey, the East's sixth seed.

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick finished with 17 saves in what was a relatively easy night. Brodeur had 23 saves as the Devils lost in overtime for just the second time this postseason; they have won four times. Los Angeles is 3-0 after regulation this spring.

The Devils had two great chances to take the lead early in the third, and for a split second it appeared they went ahead with 16:02 to play in regulation when Zach Parise scored off a wild goal-mouth scramble.

While the horns went off and the fans celebrated, referee Dan O'Halloran quickly waved off the goal.

It was reviewed in Toronto and replay clearly showed Parise swept the puck into the net with his hand.

"We didn't deserve to win tonight, and we didn't," said New Jersey veteran Patrik Elias.

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Kings, Devils prepare for Stanley Cup clash

Fine tuning: New Jersey head coach Peter DeBoer (foreground) prepares his players Tuesday for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. AP

NEWARK, New Jersey — A little less than two years after battling for the services of high-scoring free agent forward Ilya Kovalchuk, the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings are going after a bigger prize — the Stanley Cup.

To tell the truth, hardly anyone picked the Devils and Kings to get this far.

The odds were lottery-like, and the teams beat them with authority in reaching a series that will open Wednesday at the Prudential Center.

"You hear it every year, but it doesn't get old: Once you make it in, you have a chance to get here," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "I think that's one thing that the prognosticators don't consider. I always put it this way, when the playoffs start, the clocks should be reset. Because everyone's starting over, and all 16 teams have a shot to win it all.

"I think both teams would agree with that this year."

Led by Kovalchuk and a 40-year-old Martin Brodeur, the Devils are just the second No. 6 seed to reach the final. The 2004 Calgary Flames, who were coached by Sutter, were the other.

Riding the goaltending of Jonathan Quick, the Kings overcame even bigger obstacles. They are only the second No. 8 seed to make it since the conference-based NHL playoff format was introduced in 1993-94. The Edmonton Oilers were the first in 2006.

"It's all about winning here, and eliminating distractions and doing what it takes to be successful," said Brodeur, who led the Devils to Cups in 1995, 2000 and 2003. "That's worked for us this year, and really my entire career. For me, to be a part of that is great. To come to the rink every day during my career, knowing we had a chance to win every night is something special.

"I've had that my whole career here, and that's been a great ride."

While this isn't a glamour series that boasts the likes of a Sidney Crosby, a Steven Stamkos or even a Henrik Lundqvist, it has elements that should help the NHL, and prove entertaining on the ice.

To start, this is an East-West series featuring two of the nation's biggest media markets in Los Angeles and the New York metropolitan area.

But the Kings and Devils also present great story lines.

Los Angeles, which heavily courted Kovalchuk in free agency, is making only its second appearance in a Cup final, having lost in 1993 to Montreal. The Kings are back, though, after a midseason shakeup that saw Sutter replace Terry Murray just before Christmas and a late trade that added skilled scorer Jeff Carter to the lineup. Still, they didn't clinch a playoff berth until the final week of the season.

But in the postseason, the Kings have been virtually unstoppable. They have posted a 12-2 record and knocked off the three top seeds in the Western Conference — Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix. They have never trailed in a series, winning the first three games in each round.

"Everybody's just clicking," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "People are used to playing with their linemates now. The lines have been the same from the last part of the season. D pairings are the same. It's just getting used to them. Everyone is playing with confidence. Once you start clicking like that, pucks start going in the net for you."

The Devils' story is just as good. They missed the playoffs last season despite retaining Kovalchuk with a $102 million contract that the league said violated its letter of the law. Few expected them to recover this quickly especially with Brodeur seemingly on his last legs after a sub-par season, and captain Zach Parise returning from a major knee injury. When top center Travis Zajac blew out an Achilles' tendon before training camp, the chances of Devils making a final seemed faint.

Guess again.

New Jersey won its final six games in the regular season, rallied from 3-2 deficit in the opening round of the playoffs with two overtime wins against Florida, and then eliminated the Flyers and Rangers, their two biggest rivals, in five and six games, respectively.

"Last year was tough," said Kovalchuk, who said there was never a doubt in his mind that he would stay in New Jersey. "But we made sure it paid off. We have a great coaching staff, great players here, great group of guys, very close to each other. I think that makes a big difference."

The other thing that should be great is the goaltending.

The 26-year-old Quick leads playoff netminders in goals-against average (1.54) and save percentage (.946). He has eight road wins in as many starts, posting a 1.55 goals-against average and .948 save percentage in those games.

Brodeur is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner. He has played in 24 career Stanley Cup final games, posting a 15-9 record with a 1.91 goals-against, losing only a series to Colorado in seven games in 2001. The Montreal native is set to become the fifth goaltender in NHL history and first since Jacques Plante in 1970 to appear in the Stanley Cup final after his 40th birthday:

"Well, everyone knows what he's meant to the league and this team, and where he stands in history," Quick said of the NHL's winningest goaltender. "For me, it's not about me against him. It's about the Kings and the Devils."

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Kings eye coronation

Royal flush: Phoenix's Mikkel Boedke takes a tumble as Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar watches on during the Kings' 4-3 win on Tuesday. AP

GLENDALE, Arizona — Skating between the circles, Dustin Penner saw the puck bouncing his way. A scrum of players thrashing in front of him, he fired a shot through the crowd and between Phoenix goalie Mike Smith's pads.

Fortunate? Maybe a little, but it was all the Los Angeles Kings needed to get where they haven't been since Wayne Gretzky glided across the ice in Southern California.

Penner scored 17:42 into overtime and the Kings are headed to the Stanley Cup finals for the second time as a franchise after beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday night.

"I got a lucky bounce," Penner said. "I just waited for it to settle down, and I got a chance to get it in the net."

The kings of the road, Los Angeles will play for hockey's ultimate prize for the first time since 1993 after taking down the Western Conference's top three seeds.

The Kings knocked off No. 1 Vancouver, the Presidents' Trophy winner, No. 2 St. Louis and rounded it out with a five-game win over the No. 3 Coyotes in the conference finals to become the second No. 8 seed — along with Edmonton in 2006 — to reach the Stanley Cup finals.

They played hard, utilized their skill and size, and won away from home like no other team in NHL history.

After losing Game 4 at home, Los Angeles closed out Phoenix in the desert for its NHL-record eighth straight road victory of the playoffs. The Kings became the first team to go undefeated on the road en route to the Stanley Cup finals and have won 10 straight road playoff games over two seasons, another record.

Anze Kopitar scored Los Angeles' fifth short-handed goal of the playoffs, Drew Doughty had a goal an assist, and Mike Richards also scored for Los Angeles. Jonathan Quick had some big saves in the third period and overtime, and Penner capped it by gathering a bouncing puck and beating Smith for his third goal of the playoffs.

Next up for the Kings is a trip to the New York metropolitan area. They will play Game 1 on May 30 at either the New York Rangers or the New Jersey Devils. L.A. last played in the final round 19 years ago, vs. Montreal.

"There hasn't been much success as an organization, but we've got an opportunity to play for the Cup," said Kings captain Dustin Brown, who angered the Coyotes with a hit that knocked defenseman Michal Rozsival from the game just before Penner's goal. "But there's still a lot of work to be done."

The Coyotes avoided being swept out of their first conference finals with a gutty win in Los Angeles on Sunday. They couldn't extend the series another game despite jumping on the Kings early, unable to stop Los Angeles' waves of skilled players or Penner's final shot.

Taylor Pyatt had a goal and an assist, Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Keith Yandle also scored, and Smith made some superb saves while facing 51 shots.

"I have been knocked out in the first round a lot and you think it is going to feel better when you get to the next round, but I don't care when you get knocked out," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. "It feels awful and you don't want to be a part of it and you wish you could keep going."

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Newton, Golden Kings know what it takes to excel

Seven seasons are in the record books now, and the only numbers that truly resonate are championships.

The Osaka Evessa still have the most, with a remarkable three-peat, starting in 2005-06. They are joined in that elite circle by two bj-league franchises with sustained excellence and a pair of crowns each — the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix and the Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Sunday's crowning achievement was a year in the making for the Golden Kings, who ended the Eastern Conference heavyweight's two-year reign by ascending to the throne after a mini-drought. As a second-year franchise, the Kings picked up their first championship by topping the Tokyo Apache in the title match after dethroning the Evessa in the Western Conference final in May 2009.

Understand this: The Golden Kings are a model franchise. Player development, marketing, coaching and booster club membership are all aspects of Ryukyu's daily operations that other teams can learn from.

Like San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich molding his team around Tim Duncan, as Ian Thomsen noted in a recent SI.com story, the Kings have wisely built their team around Jeff Newton and Anthony McHenry, whose skills perfectly complement each other.

Newton, the peerless post player on five title teams, doesn't demand the ball or a certain number of shots per game; instead, he demands effort and holds his teammates accountable when their level of play slips.

Newton's former Evessa teammate David Palmer, the only other player in league history with five championship game appearances, also embodies the team's unselfish spirit.

Minutes after McHenry picked up the playoff MVP award on Sunday, Palmer was surrounded by cameras and microphones. With a big smile on his face, he told reporters: "I'm just so happy. ... For McHenry to have (earned) this award, it feels wonderful."

No matter how many points the Golden Kings have scored, Newton always talks about defense and rebounding as the things his team must never stop focusing on.

Sunday night, for example, the former Indiana University standout talked about the significance of winning the battle on the boards (he hauled in a game-high 19 of Ryukyu's 54 rebounds; Hamamatsu had 41).

"I've just got a feel for the ball," the 31-year-old Newton said. "I go and get it."

That's the foundation of Ryukyu's success. And it starts with a selfless player who always seems to make the right play.

Case in point: After Newton's 40-point, 30-rebound game against the Sendai 89ers in November 2008, assistant coach Keith Richardson summed up the feat this way: "When they announced 40 and 30, I could not believe it. ... But when you know Jeff Newton the way we do and his work ethic and his 'never-give up' attitude it is not too hard to believe that he could get those kind of numbers for one game. It was definitely special to witness this record-setting performance and to get the win, which I am sure means more to Jeff than the numbers actually do. Jeff is a team player, this I know, and big numbers in a win are just icing on the cake for him."

And then there's this: Oketani knows how to use his bench, trusting his players and giving major minutes to the youngest duo on either team — 22-year-old guards Narito Namizato and Morihisa Yamauchi, both of whom made major contributions in the Final Four, combining for 41 total points in victories over the Kyoto Hannaryz and the Phoenix.

It doesn't hurt, of course, that the team's supporting cast has players that excel in different areas. There's brute force center Dillion Sneed, a forceful presence at 202-cm and 126 kg in the low post. There's fellow post player Dzaflo Larkai, whose footwork and repertoire of moves around the basket can sometimes remind one of the way Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon operated against an array of defensive schemes. There's Palmer, the league's premier perimeter marksman, who came off the bench and thrived in a reserve role. There's the savvy, underrated on-court presence of Tsubasa Yonamine, who year after year racks up impressive assist-to-turnover numbers. Since 2006, Yonamine has 1,146 assists and 360 turnovers in 279 regular-season games.

"He's a true leader," Palmer said of Yonamine in May 2011. "I don't think his true value can be measured by on-court statistics. He's a quality leader."

There's Yasufumi Takushi, who plays a few minutes a game and does his damage from 3-point range (46 3s in 2011-12). And then there's Naoto Kosuge, a solid player for five seasons with the Niigata Albirex BB before joining the Kings last season. His 17-point outing on Sunday, with 3 of 4 3-point shots flying through the net, was a bold reminder of his all-around skills in this league. Several seasons ago, then-Tokyo coach Joe Bryant spoke passionately about Kosuge's rare combination of size (187 cm) and shooting ability that made Kosuge one of the best pure athletes among the league's Japanese players (and Bryant should know about pure athletes; after all, his son, Kobe, happens to be one of the greatest NBA players of all time).

It took Kosuge seven seasons to win a championship, but the victory was sweet and a well-earned tribute to a player who does his job the right way.

"This is my eighth pro season, seventh in the bj-league, and I've finally grabbed a championship," Kosuge told reporters. "I'd been away from any championship since I was in college, so I'm so excited about this."

* * *

Oketani stepped into the spotlight as head coach while still in his late 20s for the Oita HeatDevils after ex-NBA center Jawann Oldham, the team's bench boss, was fired by the Kyushu club in the league's inaugural season. From that point on, the confident leader has proven he has what it takes to be an effective sideline supervisor in this league.

"Coach Dai is the heart of the team," Richardson told me in a 2008 interview, months before the team's first championship. "We all function around him as one. His knowledge of basketball is just phenomenal. He is always thinking ahead of the other teams and makes adjustments to the game very fast."

When Oketani took over in Okinawa, the Kings were coming off a 10-34 inaugural season. Winning become the norm from that point on.

For the first championship, we climbed up to the (top) from the bottom of the standings," Oketani recalled Sunday night with the championship trophy beside him in the interview room. "So nobody thought of us seriously. And when we did win, the championship and other teams began marking us all the time. They tried to adjust to our offense and defense. We still managed to win games. That's because our players really grew up. This (title) is certainly a different one and valuable one as we won while being targeted by other teams."

It was a joy to see the Golden Kings fans, arguably the best in the league, being saluted by McHenry after the title game had concluded on Sunday. It was his way of reminding them that their support is critical to the team's success. McHenry raised his hands and held up his MVP plaque for them, doing so behind the team bench, on the opposite side of the court and also along the baseline. Three humble gestures.

Throughout the championship game — and you can't discount their brilliance during their 39-win regular season — the Golden Kings never settled for mediocrity.

"They came ready to play," Hamamatsu guard Jermaine Dixon observed. "They were the best team in the league this year, and they definitely played like it tonight in the championship."

While Newton's five titles may be the league's most jaw-dropping accomplishment and one that fires up his younger, impressionable teammates, McHenry's energy is the driving force of the team's high-octane attack at both ends of the floor.

Listen to Dixon's description of McHenry's playoff MVP-clinching game (25 points, three blocks, two steals):

"He was great. He got out in transition. He got easy baskets. He was making plays for his teammates, playing great D, whether blocking shots or getting rebounds, he was definitely doing everything out there."

Newton cemented his status as a legend in this league after putting 50 points on the board in the Western Conference final to lead Ryukyu past Osaka in 2009. Since then, he's battled injuries but made big plays time and again when his team needed them most.

He's a "smart defender, great rebounder, very unselfish," Richardson told me last season.

One fan told this newspaper: "Many people only think about offense, but he (Newton) also had great defensive effort. Great box-out player, too."

Another fervent supporter said, "He can play both as a forward or a center. There are many players who have a size advantage, but he still keeps his toughness against them."

Two generations of standouts, nearly 10 years apart in age — Newton and Namizato — represent the wide range of skill sets on Ryukyu's 2011-12 champions roster. The former is the winningest player in league history, the latter has taken his first big step as a pro player by playing a major role (11.0 points per game and a team-best 217 assists and 63 steals) for the Kings this season.

Namizato has lofty ambitions: to play in the NBA. His speed, quick handle, court vision and daring dashes in the lane have raised his stock, though it's too early to expect him to be in the world's supreme league at the start of the 2012-13 season. That shouldn't stop him from pursuing his dreams, though.

To be the best, one must compete — and excel — against the best.

That's a lesson that has served the Ryukyu Golden Kings well over the past four stellar seasons.

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Kings looking for sweep after defeating Coyotes in Game 3

On the brink: Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) scores past Coyotes goalie Mike Smith in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday in Los Angeles. The Kings won 2-1. AP

LOS ANGELES — When Daymond Langkow beat Jonathan Quick on a breakaway and celebrated Phoenix's first lead in the Western Conference finals, captain Dustin Brown was almost curious how his Los Angeles Kings would respond to the first serious adversity they've faced in weeks.

Their answer told Brown that this unbelievable bunch of Kings is almost ready to play for the Stanley Cup.

Anze Kopitar scored the tying breakaway goal just 2:07 later, Dwight King added the winner early in the third period and Los Angeles rolled to the brink of its first Stanley Cup final in 19 years with a 2-1 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the West finals.

Quick made 18 saves, and the eighth-seeded Kings improved to 11-1 in an undeniably charmed run through the NHL postseason by a franchise with 44 seasons of frustrating, Cup-free history.

For the third straight series, the West's final playoff team will play for a sweep in Game 4.

"Phoenix was a lot better tonight, but we found a way to win," Brown said. "That's what it takes this time of year. It's exciting. There's a lot of guys in here that haven't experienced this . . . but the thing that's made this work is how we're handling all this. We're up 3-0 again."

Although the Kings trailed for the first time in nearly 18 periods since April 28, they bounced back swiftly before largely controlling the third period. King scored his fourth goal in three games against the Coyotes, who face a deficit only three teams have overcome in NHL playoff history.

King connected 1:47 into the third, beating Mike Smith high to the glove side. The massive rookie scored two goals in the series opener and added the winner in Game 2.

"Everybody is answering the challenge and being better," said King, who has outscored Phoenix all by himself in the series. "We're playing good, playing consistent. With the way we're going, we're tough to beat right now."

Smith stopped 26 shots in a standout performance for the third-seeded Coyotes, who must win four straight to reach their first Stanley Cup final.

"None of us planned on being in (a 3-0 hole)," Phoenix's Shane Doan said. "I don't think it's disbelief, but I think it's (disappointment)."

In front of a long-suffering crowd gratefully enjoying its unexpected good fortune after decades of disappointment, the Kings dominated the third period in front of Quick. They forechecked relentlessly in the final minutes, forcing Smith to play a long stretch without his goal stick because Phoenix couldn't clear the zone so he could retrieve it.

The crowd soaked in another memorable performance during the best playoff run by this Second Six franchise since Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille led Los Angeles to its only conference title in 1993, while the Coyotes wondered if their own remarkable postseason run has any chance of continuing beyond Sunday.

"We want to play with a lead, but we didn't even have a chance," Phoenix's Mikkel Boedker said. "They got a breakaway and came right back. . . . They're a good team, and we know that, but the series isn't over. We still have time to win it."

Los Angeles largely dominated the first two games of the series in Glendale, outshooting the Coyotes 88-51 while winning by a combined 8-2. Phoenix had no more luck than Vancouver or St. Louis against the surprising No. 8 seeds, who finished two points behind the Pacific Division champion Coyotes in the regular season before steamrolling the West's top two teams in a combined nine games.

"We'll take a couple of days here and rest up, and what have we got to lose?" Phoenix coach Dave Tippett asked. "We'll come here and play as hard as we can. We'll give a real honest evaluation of who we are and how we got here."

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Kings withstand heavy hits to take 2-0 lead on Coyotes

Look out: Phoenix's Antoine Vermette (right) checks Los Angeles' Drew Doughty during the Kings' 4-0 win on Tuesday. AP

GLENDALE, Arizona — The Los Angeles Kings knew the Coyotes would come with everything they had.

Even when that meant some questionable hits as the frustration grew, the Kings never let it bother them.

Withstanding an early push and a slew of penalties late, the Kings took control of the Western Conference finals with another dominating performance, beating the Coyotes 4-0 Tuesday night to match an NHL record with their seventh straight road playoff victory.

Jeff Carter scored three goals, Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots and Los Angeles will head back home with a commanding series lead after flummoxing the Coyotes in two games in the desert.

"We didn't want to do anything after the whistle," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "We just wanted to stay away from it. We didn't have anything to prove that way."

All Los Angeles wanted was the victory and the Kings got it, overwhelming the Coyotes after doing the same in Game 1.

The Kings shook off the big hits — a couple that led to game misconducts — and continued a can't-stop-us roll that started with a playoff push the last month of the regular season.

Dwight King scored his third goal in two games, Quick tied Felix Potvin's team record with his third career playoff shutout, and Carter finished off the Kings' first playoff hat trick since Wayne Gretzky in 1993 in the third period.

Los Angeles has won seven straight overall, tied an NHL record by opening the playoffs 7-0 on the road, and matched another record by winning nine straight road playoff games over two seasons.

The New York Islanders won a pair of Stanley Cup titles while winning nine straight road games from 1982-83, and the Kings are starting to look like a team that could go on a Cup run of its own.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.

"It's a mind set; we get away, there's no distractions," Carter said. "For some reason, this team likes to play on the road."

The Coyotes played better early and fell apart late, becoming frustrated after being unable to contain the more-skilled Kings.

Phoenix was hit with a string of penalties starting late in the second period, including a game misconduct to captain Shane Doan for boarding Kings center Trevor Lewis. Martin Hanzal also received one for boarding Dustin Brown in the third period and the Coyotes had 13 penalties for 56 minutes — most coming after the final 5 minutes of the second period.

"I think the frustration level sets in," Coyotes goalie Mike Smith said. "You're in the penalty box that much against a team that's in the conference finals, you're going to pay."

The Kings won the opener 4-2 by outplaying and outhustling the Coyotes. Knowing Phoenix's makeup, the Kings figured to get more of a pushback in Game 2.

And the Coyotes were much more aggressive early, winning some of the individual battles they lost in Game 1 while creating some decent scoring chances.

Even with all of Phoenix's hard work and a couple of line changes by coach Dave Tippett, the Kings still managed to score first. King got it, redirecting a shot by Drew Doughty that beat Smith stick side late in the period.

Hard work in the corners by Mike Richards set up Los Angeles' second goal, by Carter. He muscled the puck past Smith's glove side as he was going down on a feed from Dustin Penner that made it 2-0 early in the second period.

Then things completely unraveled for the Coyotes.

Doan, who was suspended three games for elbowing earlier in the season, was given a game misconduct and a five-minute boarding penalty for ramming Lewis from behind. Defenseman Keith Yandle was already in the penalty box and Daymond Langkow joined him after a slashing penalty, giving Los Angeles a two-man advantage for more than 2 minutes.

Brown was sent off for diving on a slash by Smith, but that didn't bother the Kings. Carter scored his second a few seconds later on a redirect of a shot by Anze Kopitar, putting Los Angeles up 3-0.

With the Coyotes racking up penalties seemingly on every shift, Carter finished them off with his fifth career hat trick, punching in a rebound with the Kings on a two-man advantage after Hanzal's hit on Brown.

"There's no question there's going to be frustration, especially when you get down in a game like that, guys try to finish their checks on the edge,"

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Kings stun Blues on road to open Western Conference semis

Watch the throne: Kings goalie Jonathan Quick deflects a shot by the Blues' Andy McDonald on Saturday in St. Louis. Los Angeles won 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in their playoff series. AP

ST. LOUIS — Goals from unexpected sources put the Los Angeles Kings in position for another road triumph. Jonathan Quick — no surprise there — made those scores stand up.

Matt Greene scored his first career playoff goal short-handed late in the second period and rookie Slava Voynov also got his first of the playoffs as the Kings beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 in the opener of a Western Conference semifinal series on Saturday night.

"It's definitely a great feeling to be able to chip in and help out a little bit," Greene said. "But we have a lot of work to do."

Quick, who shut out the Blues twice in the regular season, made 28 saves and is 5-1 in the postseason with a 1.55 goals-against average. He was at his best in the first period, charging from the crease to stuff a backhander by B.J. Crombeen and also stopped a wraparound attempt by Patrik Berglund.

"It was a great win," Quick said. "We get to enjoy it for five minutes and then focus on Monday."

Game 2 is Monday night in St. Louis.

The Blues could be without defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who didn't play in the third period after getting his head driven into the boards by Dwight King behind the St. Louis net on the penalty that led to the short-handed goal.

Coach Ken Hitchcock seemed to indicate Pietrangelo had concussion symptoms, but said he couldn't concern himself with that right now.

"I don't want to get into whether he's going to play or not play," Hitchcock said. "Everybody saw the hit. We all know what the injury is. If he's not in, then somebody else gets to jump up.

"I've got bigger issues than replacing Petro. We need much more commitment from our top players."

Dustin Penner added an empty-netter for the Kings, who were 3-0 on the road while taking down the President's Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks in five games in the first round. Los Angeles is the eighth seed in the conference but won the season series 3-1.

"No one gave us a good chance against Vancouver, I don't think," forward Dustin Brown said. "I doubt very few people are giving us a chance against the Blues. It's up to us."

NEW YORK — Chris Kreider is six games into his NHL career and days shy of his 21st birthday.

And yet the Stanley Cup playoffs are anything but overwhelming for the newest New York Rangers forward who has quickly become a hit on Broadway.

Kreider scored the go-ahead goal and then set up Brad Richards' insurance tally 90 seconds later in the third period to lift New York to a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Kreider, who earlier this month helped Boston College win the NCAA championship, scored the second goal of his NHL career — and these playoffs — and he did it at the perfect time to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead 7:00 into the third.

Both Kreider's goals have been playoff game-winners. He also had the deciding marker in New York's Game 6 victory at Ottawa when the Rangers played the first of two potential elimination games in the first round.

"I'm kind of at a loss for words," Kreider said. "I'm just trying to keep my head down and work hard. Whether or not the puck goes in, I'm just trying to play the same role I play every night and be consistent and be defensively reliable."

Kreider got into the Rangers lineup only because fellow rookie Carl Hagelin was suspended for three games when he elbowed Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson in Game 2.

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Golden Kings extend winning streak to seven

The Ryukyu Golden Kings have accomplished a number of firsts in their history, including this: They were the first time other than the Osaka Evessa to win a bj-league title. They also became the first professional sports team in Okinawa in 2007.

On Saturday, they became the first team in the 2011-12 season to reach 20 wins, doing so by edging the Shiga Lakestars 84-81 in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture.

The Western Conference-leading Golden Kings (20-5) have won seven straight games. Dai Oketani's club has exhibited the patience, poise and depth of a championship team since the season started, and has improved along the way.

Anthony McHenry paced Ryukyu with 17 points, center Dillion Sneed added 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting in his season debut and Naoto Kosuge scored 15.

Josh Peppers led Shiga (16-9) with 19 points, Ray Nixon had 17 points with nine boards, Julius Ashby scored 15 and Yu Okada added 13 as both teams begin their quest in the season's second half to reach the Final Four.

HeatDevils 92, Evessa 82

In Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, center Taj Finger, a Stanford University product, made his season debut a successful, scoring 23 points to lead Oita to a series-opening win.

Finger, who played for the HeatDevils (6-19) before the March 11 earthquake last season, grabbed seven rebounds and made 9 of 12 shots from the field and 5 of 7 free throws in 28 minutes. Frontcourt mate T.J. Cummings added 18 points and 15 rebounds and Naoto Takushi, Wendell White and Kohei Mitomo each scored 13 points. Takushi registered eight assists in the win and raked in eight rebounds along with two steals.

For Osaka, Lynn Washington, the All-Star Game MVP for the second straight season, had 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Cohey Aoki and Wayne Marshall each scored 13 points for Osaka (17-6), and forward Mike Bell finished with 11 points and eight boards, three assists and three steals in his Evessa debut. Daisuke Tamura added seven points for the hosts.

Osaka (17-6) trailed 68-58 entering the fourth quarter, and never regained the lead the rest of the way.

Albirex BB 94, B-Corsairs 78

In Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, Erron Maxey scored 21 points, Yuichi Ikeda poured in 19 on 8-for-15 shooting and the Albirex played an impressive game in the series opener.

Nile Murry (14 points, nine assists) and Chris Holm (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Shuhei Komatsu (12 points), Hirotaka Kondo (five assists in 17 minutes) made major contributions in the victory for Niigata, now 16-9 overall, including 9-4 at home, under first-year coach Matt Garrison.

All-Star forward Justin Burrell was the B-Corsairs' high scorer with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Kenji Yamada scored 16 points for Yokohama (11-14).

Phoenix 80, Big Bulls 64

In Hamamatsu, Jermaine Dixon dished out 13 assists and the Phoenix rolled to a win over Iwate, spoiling Shinji Tomiyama's debut as acting head coach.

Jeffrey Parmer scored 16 points and hauled in 12 rebounds for the two-time defending champions and newcomer Lawrence Blackledge and Masahiro Oguchi each scored 14 for Hamamatsu (15-10).

The Phoenix outscored the out-of-towners 27-14 in the pivotal fourth quarter.

Thomas Kennedy led the expansion Big Bulls (7-20) with 19 points and Gordon Klaiber had a 13-point effort. Forward Shawn Malloy added 11 points and 11 boards and Atsushi Nogami scored seven, while Yoshiaki Yamamoto handed out six assists.

Hannaryz 80, Five Arrows 58

In Muko, Kyoto Prefecture, led by balanced scoring, the hosts hammered Takamatsu in the series opener.

Senegalese big man Babacar Camara had a team-high 20 points for the Hannaryz (17-6). Former NBA center Lance Allred notched a double-double (12 points, 12 boards) and Taizo Kawabe scored 11 points.

Paul Butorac paced the Five Arrows (1-24) with 17 points.

Northern Happinets 99, Jets 78

In Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture, Ricky Woods scored 22 points and Yuki Kikuchi's hot perimeter shooting led Akita to a sweep.

Kikuchi scored 19 points and drained 6 of 9 3-point shots, giving him 11-for-17 from beyond the arc in the series.

Stanley Ocitti scored 18 points, Kazuhiro Shoji had 15 points and seven assists and Mychal Kearse added 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals. All told, the first-place Happinets (17-9) collected 18 steals.

For Chiba (10-14), Maurice Hargrow was the leading scorer (23 points) and Jamel Staten finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

"Akita outplayed us all weekend," Jets coach Eric Gardow told The Japan Times. "Their matchup zone hurt us and we turned the ball over too many times (26 on Saturday).

"Our 3-point defense was simply obviously nonexistent as they shot 16-for-26. ... We will take the positives in that this is the best we have shot from the free-throw line (15-for-16) all year."

Rizing 74, Shining Suns 70

In Fukuoka, Kevin Palmer's 26-point, 13-rebound performance led the Rizing to a narrow victory over Miyazaki.

Akitomo Takeno scored 12 points, Jun Nakanishi had 11 and Carlos Dixon added 10 for Fukuoka (16-9).

For the Shining Suns (12-15), forward O'Neal "Trey" Mims finished with 15 points and 14 boards, Taishiro Shimizu scored 12 and Dexter Lyons had 10.

Grouses 77, 89ers 58

In Shinminato, Toyama Prefecture, center Devin Searcy's strong effort inside (18 points, 13 rebounds) and 16 points apiece from Takeshi Mito and Ira Brown carried the Grouses to a win over Sendai.

Dan Fitzgerald, who put 16 points on the board, was the leading scorer for the 89ers (12-13). Johnny Dukes scored 13 points and Rashaad Singleton had 11 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots.

"Toyama played good defense and they beat us on the offensive glass," Sendai coach Bob Pierce said, citing Toyama's 28 offensive boards to Sendai's 17.

Susanoo Magic 83, Brave Warriors 66

In Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Michael Parker had 22 points and 10 rebounds and B.J. Puckett scored 15 as the hosts defeated Shinshu.

Jeral Davis added 14 points and four blocks and Reggie Golson had 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Shimane (14-11). Floor leader Edward Yamamoto contributed eight points, six assists and three steals for Zeljko Pavlicevic's club.

Derek Raivio led the Brave Warriors (11-14) with 23 points, T yler Hughes added 12 points and 13 boards and Takato Saito scored eight points and had four of Shinshu's six assists.

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Cousins demands trade from Kings

Sacramento California — The Sacramento Kings say DeMarcus Cousins has demanded a trade and has been told to stay away from the team.

Kings coach Paul Westphal released a statement before Sunday's game against New Orleans, saying when Cousins "continually, aggressively, lets it be known that he is unwilling/unable to embrace traveling in the same direction as his team, it cannot be ignored indefinitely."

Cousins' agent, John Greig, says he "has no idea what the Kings are doing" and didn't know the team excused him from Sunday's game until Westphal's announcement. Greig withheld any further comment.

The Kings drafted Cousins with the fifth overall pick in 2010 after he spent one season at Kentucky. The 21-year-old Cousins is averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per game this season.

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Golden Kings, Phoenix reach final

The Ryukyu Golden Kings built a big enough cushion — 19 points to be precise — to sustain a spirited Osaka Evessa comeback. And that's exactly what they did.

Golden ticket: Ryukyu's David Palmer drives against Osaka's Tseng Wen-ting in the bj-league Western Conference final on Saturday. The Golden Kings won 82-76. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO

The Evessa cut it to five in the final minute, but suffered an 82-76 defeat to their archrival in the bj-league's Western Conference final on Saturday night at Ariake Colosseum. Ryukyu, the 2008-09 champion, advanced to the title game against the Eastern Conference final champion Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix. Sunday's title match tips off at 5:05 p.m.

David Palmer paced the Golden Kings, the regular-season conference champ, with 24 points and Anthony McHenry poured in 23, including a pair of big dunks that he said "gave the team a spark."

Kings standout Carlos Dixon scored 20, Shigeyuki Kinjo had eight and Naoto Kosuge added seven. Big man Jeff Newton, whose 50 points propelled the Kings past the Evessa in the conference final two seasons ago, didn't score in his 18-plus minutes, finishing with three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Nursing an ankle injury that kept him out of the Shiga Lakestars series two weeks ago, Newton was about 60 percent, coach Dai Oketani said. But having Newton in the game, as a vital player, "helped make the other players better," the coach said.

Said McHenry: "We (wanted to use the zone) to keep them out of the paint." With the man-to-man defense, he added, the key was to build a wall behind the person with the ball.

This approach helped to slow down Osaka point guard Kenny Satterfield, who finished 1-for-6 shooting with four points, though he did have six assists. Blackwell said Sattefield was aggressive in creating shots for his teammates, but they were not always capitalizing on open shots or space the defense gave them.

Washington, the linchpin of the three Evessa title-winning team, had a team-high 25 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter to spearhead Osaka's comeback. Veteran teammate Billy Knight contributed 23 points and 9-for-10 shooting at the line. Center Wayne Marshall scored 12 points.

The Evessa were 19-for-49 from inside the 3-point arc as Ryukyu's disciplined 2-3 zone and man-to-man defense worked well throughout the game.

"Hats off to Okinawa," first-year Evessa coach Ryan Blackwell said. "They had a good game plan. We fought back twice, but in the third quarter, we just didn't get back on defense."

Washington said, "It sucks to lose." He added that "every time I come here to Ariake I am confident (in leading) the team to victory. I always feel I'm prepared (to do that)."

Palmer, on the other hand, was all smiles after the triumph.

"It was a hard fought game," he said. "We were able to keep fighting for the win."

The players, though, gave Oketani a reason to voice his disgust on the sideline. "He was angry we let them get back in the game in the fourth quarter," Palmer admitted."

Last season, Osaka handed Ryukyu a stunning 84-56 defeat in the West final. For the third straight year, the teams faced off in the West final, giving the teams' loyal fans another chance to show their enthusiasm from the get-go.

The Evessa, vying for their fifth title game appearance in six seasons, trailed 64-49 after three quarters, not an impossible hole to dig out of, but a major obstacle to overcome.

Blackwell's charges were down 68-49 after sharpshooter Palmer flushed a pair of baseline jumpers from right side on back-to-back possessions.

Through three quarters, the Evessa were 16-for-51 from the field, including 1-for-11 on 3s. The Golden Kings were 21-for-52 entering the fourth quarter, but that included 18-for-33 on 2s, including 10-for-14 combined for Palmer and McHenry.

Washington picked up a pair of quick fouls in the first quarter, sending him to the bench early. When he re-entered the game at the 5:47 mark of the second, the Golden Kings led 25-17, with the last three of those points coming on a McHenry jam and his free throw.

The Golden Kings turned a one-point game into a 32-30 lead courtesy of a 13-3 run, including Palmer and Kinjo 3-pointers.

But the Evessa rallied back, getting big production from Knight to close out the half. He scored eight points during a 10-2 spurt to pull Osaka within 34-34 with 39.1 seconds left in the half.

Palmer then drilled three free throws after being fouled in the act of shooting a long-range shot, pushing the Ryukyu lead back to five. Yonamine produced the final points of the half at the charity stripe. That made it 39-32, Ryukyu.

In the East Conference final, Ray Nixon scored 25 points and Jeffrey Parmer added 23 to lead a well-balanced offensive attack as the Phoenix routed the Niigata Albirex BB 88-74 to reach the title game for a second straight season.

The Phoenix, boosted by Masahiro Oguchi's nine points and eight apiece by Shingo Okada and Dzaflo Larkai, made 21 of 32 shots from inside the 3-point arc and got timely 3s to keep the Albirex from putting together any sustained runs in the final three periods.

The Albirex trailed by as many as 27 points, falling behind 80-53 on Oguchi's second free throw with midway through the fourth.

Like a fighter delivering a series of hard punches to the gut before throwing the knockout punch, the Phoenix's aggressive play on defense and ball movement created an impressive performance for those in attendance.

"That's just how we wants us to play," said Nixon, referring to coach Kazuo Nakamura's game plan. "We play as hard as we can for 40 minutes . . . from start to finish."

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Clowe scores pair as Sharks move out to 3-1 lead on Kings

Diving attempt: San Jose's Jason Demers (left) and Los Angeles' Jarret Stoll vie for the puck in the second period of Game 4 on Thursday night. The Sharks beat the Kings 6-3 to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round series. AP PHOTO

LOS, Angeles — The Sharks and Kings skated through a scoreless opening period. Then Scott Nichol lured Los Angeles star defenseman Drew Doughty off the ice with offsetting roughing penalties, opening the door to three straight goals by San Jose.

The Kings never fully recovered.

Ryane Clowe scored twice, Jason Demers added another goal in the second period and the Sharks won 6-3 on Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.

"Nichol is the reason why they won," Kings coach Terry Murray said. "Three goals were directly responsible for Nichol's game."

Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski scored in a 54-second span early in the third and Torrey Mitchell followed with his first goal of the playoffs to extend the Sharks' lead.

"I don't know what it is," Doughty said. "They're scoring easy goals. We're giving them tap-in goals and that's not something we usually do."

The Sharks return to San Jose for Game 5 on Saturday night having swept the Kings on their home ice.

"It's a great opportunity," Clowe said. "You take a 3-1 lead and you're going back to home ice to wrap it up. We should be fired up and we should want to close it out right there."

Los Angeles gave up 12 goals in its two home games.

"That's embarrassing," Jack Johnson said. "We're not going to win a game if they score six goals a game. We're a defensive team and if we're letting in that many goals we're in a lot of trouble."

The Kings had a 5-on-3 for much of the final 3 minutes after Dany Heatley was penalized for tripping and Nichol got a 10-minute misconduct, but they failed to convert. The frustrated Kings got two 10-minute misconducts themselves in the closing seconds.

Blackhawks 5, Canucks 0

In Vancouver, defenseman Duncan Keith had two goals and two assists and Chicago stayed alive in its Stanley Cup title defense, routing Vancouver to cut the Canucks' lead to 3-2 in the first-round series.

Marian Hossa, with his first two goals of the series, and Patrick Kane, with his first, also scored, and rookie Corey Crawford made 36 saves for his first playoff shutout.

Since losing the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Blackhawks dominated a Canucks team that it eliminated from the playoffs the last two seasons.

Bruins 5, Canadiens 4 (OT)

In Montreal, Michael Ryder scored 1:59 into overtime to give Boston a victory over the Canadiens, tying the Eastern Conference series 2-2.

Ryder, the former Montreal winger who also scored in the second period, took Chris Kelly's pass from behind the net and shot past Carey Price to give Boston its second victory in a row at the Bell Centre after the Bruins dropped the first two games at home.

Kelly brought Boston even for the third time in the game, scoring with 6:18 left in the third period. He put away a loose puck at his feet in the goalmouth for his second of the series.

Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Ference added goals for the Bruins. Tim Thomas made 34 saves.

Michael Cammalleri had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens.

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Johnson vows more cash for Kings

Sacramento, Calif. — Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has pledged additional money as part of a regional effort to persuade NBA officials to keep the Kings in California's capital.

Johnson told NBA officials in Sacramento on Thursday that he has $ 9.2 million in commitments for new advertising, ticket purchases and other financial support from regional businesses and other backers. That’s up from the $ 7 million he presented to league owners at the NBA Board of Governors meeting last week.

Johnson and other political and business leaders in the area were meeting with Oklahoma City Thunder owner and relocation committee chairman Clay Bennett and league attorney Harvey Benjamin on Thursday and Friday.

The Kings have until May 2 to request permission to relocate to Anaheim.

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Madrid beats Barca for King's Cup

Valencia, Spain — Cristiano Ronaldo headed home the winner in extra time as Real Madrid ended an 18-year King's Cup trophy drought with a 1-0 victory over biggest rival Barcelona on Wednesday.

The main man: Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo poses with the King's Cup after Wednesday's 1-0 victory after extra time over Barcelona in Valencia, Spain AP PHOTO

Ronaldo guided Angel Di Maria's 103rd-minute cross back across goal and past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto into the top corner as Madrid won silverware for the first time since a 2008 Spanish League title.

"It was a very tough game, Barcelona played very well, but, as you know, whoever scores, wins," Ronaldo said. "We are very happy, Madrid had not won this cup for many years."

Madrid dominated the first half and then relied on goalkeeper Iker Casillas' second-half stops as Barcelona took control after the restart in an electric atmosphere at Mestalla Stadium.

Madrid's 18th domestic cup also ends a six-game winless run against Barcelona, which lost for only the 10th time in its 35th final appearance.

Madrid's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho bowed before King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia as he received his mini-trophy, while Casillas hugged the pair before using the king as support to climb up on a support and hoist the trophy high.

"A great game of football," Mourinho said after bringing silverware to the club in his first season.

Barcelona failed with a trophy on the line for the first time under coach Pep Guardiola.

"It's always better to win than lose but we have to recover because that's life. Life has its knocks too," Guardiola said. "Will we pick ourselves up from this? Of course."

Barcelona, which closed in on the league title with a 1-1 draw against Madrid on Saturday, gets its first chance next Wednesday when the pair meet for the first of a two-legged Champions League semifinal.

The winning goal came from an incisive attack by Madrid. Fullback Marcelo played Di Maria into the left side of the area and the Argentina forward beat Daniel Alves to the perfectly weighted ball to find Ronaldo at the far post for the winner at the site of both clubs' last cup win - Madrid over Zaragoza and Barcelona over Athletic Bilbao in 2009.

Chelsea overtook Arsenal as Manchester United's closest rival for the Premier League title on Wednesday after the Gunners surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Tottenham.

Arsenal led 3-1 but Tom Huddlestone got a goal back before halftime and Rafael van der Vaart equalized with a 70th-minute penalty to push its fiercest rival down to third place.

Defending champion Chelsea moved above Arsenal on goal difference after Florent Malouda scored either side of a goal by Salomon Kalou for a straightforward 3-1 win over Birmingham.

United is six points ahead of its rivals with five games remaining, but must still play both sides.

"Chelsea's now back in the race," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "It's down to us to keep our faith and keep battling. We'll not always draw when we score three goals."

But Arsenal has now drawn four of its last five Premier League matches, with three straight games at home exactly accounting for the margin now between it and United.

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Sharks spark into life to top stunned Kings

LOS ANGELES — The Kings were cruising along with a four-goal lead. Then came an offensive barrage by the San Jose Sharks so swift and stunning that Los Angeles never could answer.

Settle down: Officials break up a fight between the Blackhawks and Canucks during their playoff game on Tuesday in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 7-2. AP

Devin Setoguchi scored 3:09 into overtime to give the Sharks a 6-5 victory and a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

"This is a game that you don't expect to happen. I don't think it will repeat itself," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "We were very fortunate to come back from that deficit. We're excited about it, but we also know the mulligan we used won't be available to us again."

It was San Jose's second overtime win in three games after taking the series opener 3-2.

Setoguchi's wrist shot beat Jonathan Quick to cap the Sharks' rally from a 4-0 deficit in the second period, when the teams combined for seven goals.

"The second you hang your head and feel sorry for yourself then it turns into six, seven, eight to nothing," Setoguchi said.

"We got that goal in the second period and all of a sudden the light turned on that we can do it, we can get pucks past this guy. We got it deep, worked hard, we beat guys off the wall. We got the second and third opportunities that led to the goals."

Game 4 is Thursday at Staples Center.

After all the scoring in the second period, both teams failed to convert scoring chances in the third, when there were no penalties.

Antero Nittymaki stopped 11 shots after replacing Antti Niemi, who was pulled early in the second after the Kings scored their fourth consecutive goal.

Quick made 30 saves for the Kings, who had no shots in overtime while the Sharks had two.

"It stings right now. We got to let it go right away," Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. "You give yourself tonight, you feel bad about it, but tomorrow's a new day. It would have been the same way if we'd won 4-0. We have to try to get back and get this series tied up."

Patrick Marleau triggered three straight goals and five altogether by the Sharks in the second when he tipped in a shot at 3:08 for his first point of the playoffs. He and Niclas Wallin assisted on Setoguchi's game-winner.

"It's definitely a little bit of a confidence booster for us," Setoguchi said. "They're going to be hungry and they're going to be ready to avenge this game."

Blackhawks 7, Canucks 2

In Chicago, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was asked this week if Dave Bolland should even play against the Canucks with the Blackhawks trailing in the series 3-0.

Why risk using a guy coming off a concussion when the chances of winning a series seemed so bleak?

Bolland provided the answer Tuesday night. Emphatically.

After missing 17 games, the versatile center was more than ready to play and showed what an impact he can have. Bolland scored a goal and had three assists as the defending Stanley Cup champs avoided being swept with a 7-2 win.

"A huge boost," Quenneville said. "We certainly fed off his presence."

With the Canucks still leading 3-1, the opening-round series shifts back to Vancouver's Rogers Arena for Game 5 on Thursday night.

Bolland passed a final physical test Tuesday morning and was cleared to play for the first time since March 9. He said he wasn't that rusty.

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