NEW YORK - Winning a Stanley Cup at home is best for celebrating. Winning a Stanley Cup on the road is best for making sure nothing gets in the way of a victory.
That is the lesson the Los Angeles Kings learned in 2012 and what they hope to remember tonight when they carry a 3-0 lead into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
"There was a lot of distraction," Kings coach Darryl Sutter recalled. "I think that was a lesson learned not for our players but for our whole organization."
During the 2012 Final, the Kings had a 3-0 lead against the New Jersey Devils and were playing at home with the expectation of rocking the Staples Center with a raucous Stanley Cup celebration. At that point, the Kings had ruled the Devils, their relentless defense holding New Jersey to two goals over the first three games.
But in Game 4, the Devils ruined the Los Angeles party with a 3-1 victory.
"We were trying to keep our players as a little inner circle," Sutter said. "But the circle got a little bit of infringement."
Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 8:33 p.m. EDT June 10, 2014
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