STAMFORD, Conn. – June 7, 2014 – NBC Sports Group continued its exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final tonight with Game 2 featuring the New York Rangers at the Los Angeles Kings on NBC. NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – provided comprehensive streaming coverage of Game 2.
Emmy Award-winning play-by-play broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning “Inside the Glass” analyst Pierre McGuire had the call of Game 2 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Coverage began at 7:20 p.m. ET immediately following NBC’s presentation of the 146th Belmont Stakes from Elmont, N.Y. Liam McHugh hosted intermission coverage alongside former NHL players and analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.
First Period
Emrick on 1st period physicality: “The ‘H’ in hockey stands for ‘hitting.’”
First Intermission
Tonight’s first intermission featured an exclusive interview with Kings forward Justin Williams, who scored the game-winning overtime goal in Game 1. The veteran forward scored in all three of the Kings’ Game 7 wins this postseason, is 7-0 in his career in Game 7s, and has posted an NHL-record 14 points in those seven games.
Milbury on Ryan McDonagh: “His teammates call him a Mack truck…he sure hit like one in the first period, and he spearheaded the Rangers in physicality. Alain Vigneault’s looking for the ‘A’ game…he brought the ‘A’ game with a little bit of nasty.”
Second Period
Emrick on Kings’ prolific offense this postseason: “Kopitar, Carter and Williams are the top three point-getters in the league, all three are Los Angeles Kings, and all three are on different lines – the definition of scoring balance.”
Emrick on Brassard’s goal to re-gain two-goal lead: “A quick turn of events in 11 seconds…the quickest two goals in a Stanley Cup Final in 67 years.”
McGuire on Rangers’ quickness: “Omnipresent speed from the Rangers…it’s everybody.”
Second Intermission
Milbury on Quick misplay behind his net, leading to fourth Rangers goal: “Jonathan Quick is going to look back at that goal and shake his head…if you’re going to go out and commit to playing the puck, you’ve got to be a little more definitive than that. He cost the Kings.”
Jones on Rangers’ forecheck: “It was aggressive early in this game, and it got aggressive again when they needed the momentum back.”
Milbury on Rangers: “This team has outplayed the Los Angeles Kings for all but the third period in the first game. They look fresher, more determined – and that says something about the Kings.”
Third Period
McGuire on Dwight King’s contact with Lundqvist on controversial third goal: “Absolutely – that’s definitely goalie interference, especially considering we had one called earlier.”
Overtime Intermission
Milbury on King’s contact with Lundqvist: “I wouldn’t want to be the guy with a whistle on this one…I could see justification for going either way with this one.”
Milbury on Rangers: “They sat back in the third period…the exact opposite of what they should have done.”
Overtime
Emrick on overtime hockey: “It is fun because it matters…close calls are part of what makes the sport exhilarating.”
Emrick on overtime hockey: “If you love the sport, but you don’t care who wins, this is fun. If you do, it’s agony.”
Second Overtime Intermission
McHugh on first overtime: “It is chaos out there – and it is exquisite.”
Jones on importance of Game 2 for Rangers: “The longer this game goes, the more important it is for the New York Rangers to win. If they lose this game late, they’re not coming back here to L.A. for another one.”
Second Overtime
Olczyk on Dustin Brown game-winner: “An overtime winner for the Kings’ captain.”
Post-Game
Roenick on the Kings: “I can honestly say I’ve never seen a team as resilient and battles back as well as this L.A Kings team does.”
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--