Stanley Cup Final Recap

Stanley Cup Final

Arizona Coyotes - 2 @ New Jersey Devils - 3

• New Jersey leads series 2-0

The train that is the New Jersey Devils is hurtling down the track towards the Stanley Cup with a win in Game 2 against the Arizona Coyotes. 

With the win, the Devils have now won 7 games in a row and need just two more to have their names etched on the "grail" and legacy cemented in RHL history. 

The Coyotes, for their part, played a much better game than they did in Game 1. After being outshot in the previous game 33-20, they got things closer in this contest and even managed to outshoot the Devils 12-6 in the third period. But for the second straight game, Arizona's difference makers were held in check.

Kevin Labanc, Vlad Tarasenko, Conor Sheary, and Johnny Gaudreau have combined for 34 goals in the playoffs. But in the first two games of the series they've only managed a collective 15 shots on goal and 1 goal, that being Tarasenko's marker in Game 1. Connor Hellebuyck, who has been merely ok in both games, is going to need some goal support if Arizona hopes to stop the bleeding and give the New Jersey some pushback. 

After a scoreless first period, it was the Devils who struck first for the second game in a row. Zach Werenski picked up his second goal of the postseason to go up 1-0. Radulov would add another before the period was through to extend his point streak to 7 games (6-6-12). That gives him in 17 points in 18 playoff games, nearly double the amount of points he had in the 18 games he played after being acquired by the Devils at the trade deadline (9). 

Shayne Gostisbehere would answer for the Coyotes in the third, his first of the playoffs. John Klingberg would restore the Devils lead to two goals just over a minute later. Joel Kiviranta made things exciting when he got Arizona back witihin a goal with just over two minutes to play. 
However, New Jersey pressured Arizona in their own zone which didn't allow them to pull Hellebuyck for the extra attacker until there were just 11 seconds left. 

THREE STARS

John Klingberg (NJD): 1 goal (GWG), 1 assist, +2, 1 hit, 2 shots, 19:52 TOI
Tyler Motte (NJD): 1 assist, 3 hits, 5 shots, 2 blocked shots, 1 giveaway, 15:07 TOI
Zach Werenski (NJD): 1 goal, +3, 1 hit, 1 shot, 3 blocked shots, 1GA, 1TA, 21:08 TOI