Kyle Garcia 
It is June 13th, 2024. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the LA Kings clinching their second Stanley Cup championship in three seasons.
The first Stanley Cup run saw the Kings set records, make history, and steamroll everyone by winning 16 of their 20 games. 2014 ended with the Kings lifting Lord Stanley again, but having to fight tooth and nail to get to that moment, which accumulated in 26 out of a possible 28 games.
Like the 2012 team, let’s go back in time and relive the top 10 moments from that 2014 championship run.
Honorable mention:
Justin Williams wins the Conn Smythe:
Justin Williams, known as “Mr. Game 7” among hockey fans and pundits, was clutch during the Kings’ 2014 Cup run. In seven elimination games, Williams put up 11 points (six goals and five assists) and five points (two goals and three assists) in the three Game 7s the Kings played in. When the games meant more, he stepped up. It’s why he was a leader and a player that Los Angeles could rely on.
In the Stanley Cup Finals, he led all skaters in assists (five) and points (seven). For the playoffs, he was tied for third in goals (nine), second in assists (16), and tied for second in points (25). Being named the Conn Smythe winner for 2014 was an easy choice and well-deserved.
Here are the top ten moments:
10. The five-on-three penalty kill against the Sharks in Game 6 (4/28/14):
The Kings faced elimination for the third time in their first-round series against the Sharks. Williams started the scoring to give the Kings a 1-0 lead in the first period, the only goal in the frame. The second period saw the Kings face adversity. Robyn Regehr and Jarret Stoll committed minor penalties 23 seconds apart to give the Sharks a five-on-three power play for 1:37 with 13:20 remaining in the middle frame.
Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Willie Mitchell were the skaters who were tasked to shut down the Sharks’ two-man advantage opportunity. With two saves and stellar penalty killing, the Kings didn’t allow the Sharks to seize momentum, even though they managed to tie the game later in the period. Ultimately, the Kings got three third-period goals from Kopitar (x2) and Williams to force a Game 7 with a 4-1 victory after trailing in the series 3-0. If the Sharks scored on that two-man advantage, who knows what would happen.
9. Jonathan Quick’s performance in Game 3 against the Rangers (6/9/14):
Jonathan Quick never played in Madison Square Garden as a professional. It feels weird saying that, considering the 2013-14 season was his sixth season in the league. Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final marked the first time Quick started a game in MSG against the team he grew up rooting for and the goalie he idolized, Mike Richter.
While the Kings won 3-0 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead, it was the Quick show as he stopped all 32 Ranger shots on goal for his second career Stanley Cup Final shutout, which included multiple big saves. Not a bad first career professional start in MSG on hockey’s biggest stage. Game 3 was the only game in the series the Kings were outshot.
8. That ’70s line dominates Game 2 against the Blackhawks (5/21/14):
Like in 2012, the Kings got contributions from different players in all four series. In the 2014 Western Conference Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, a certain trio would make their mark early in the series. That trio was Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter, and Tyler Toffoli, also known as “That ’70s Line.” The trio combined for 23 points in the seven games, with Carter leading the way with 11.
Game 2 of that Western Conference Finals series would be the start of their domination in the series. With the Kings trailing 2-1 entering the third period, the trio scored two five-on-five goals, along with Jeff Carter scoring a power-play and an empty-net goal for his second career playoff hat trick with the Kings. Ironically, both of Carter’s hat tricks came in a Western Conference Finals series (the other one being in 2012). The trio would be a thorn in Chicago’s side and a reason the Kings took a commanding 3-1 series lead through four games.
7. Dustin Brown’s double-overtime goal gives the Kings a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final (6/7/14):
Dustin Brown had big moments during the 2012 Stanley Cup run for the Kings, but didn’t have that one defining moment during the 2014 run. That all changed in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Kings had to overcome three two-goal deficits to force overtime. No team scored during the first overtime session, which meant game two would need at least an extra 20 minutes to decide a winner.
Up to the midway point of the second overtime, the Kings outshot the Rangers 5-1. Shot number six came from the left point by Mitchell and was redirected in the slot by Brown. Brown battled with Ranger defenseman Ryan McDonagh for inside position and was able to get his stick on the puck to redirect it by Henrik Lundqvist for a Game 2 victory for the Kings, which gave them a 2-0 series lead.
The captain came up with his first big moment in the 2014 playoffs. It was also the third straight game the Kings rallied from a two-goal deficit.
6. Mr. Game 7 becomes Mr. Game 1 (6/4/14):
Williams had a knack for scoring goals in game seven. It’s why he is called Mr. Game 7 for a reason. However, for this game, he would be known as Mr. Game 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Kings trailed 2-0, battled back to tie it, and forced overtime for the second consecutive game.
In the overtime session, the Kings would get a break as Ranger defenseman Dan Girardi turned the puck over in his own end after fanning on his first outlet pass. Mike Richards intercepted the pass and found Williams, who got off a quick shot that beat Lundqvist blocker side to secure the victory for Los Angeles.
5. Marian Gaborik ties it and wins it in Game 1 against the Ducks (5/3/14):
Marian Gaborik was acquired by the Kings from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline. Like in 2012, the Kings needed to add scoring to their forward group, and Gaborik was a player who fit that bill. He formed instant chemistry with Kopitar but hadn’t made that impact through the team’s first seven playoff games.
Game 1 in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks saw Gaborik record the tying goal with seven seconds left as he batted the puck out of the air off a rebound after Richards threw the puck toward the net out of desperation.
That’s it, right? Nope. Gaborik was not done.
In the overtime period, Gaborik redirected the puck off the post, which went off Jonas Hiller’s back after hitting the post, and in off a sweet dish from Kopitar to steal Game 1 for the Kings. It was the fifth straight win for the Kings in the playoffs.
4. Domination against Ducks in Game 7 (5/16/14):
The first and only freeway faceoff series went the distance. The Kings took games one and two. The Ducks would bounce back and take games three through five. Staving off elimination for the fifth time in the playoffs, the Kings took game six to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Anaheim.
The moment the puck dropped, the Kings dominated and pounced on rookie netminder John Gibson early. Williams, who else, of course, started the scoring with a power-play goal, and Carter and Richards would chip in with goals in the first period to give the Kings a 3-0 lead heading into the intermission.
Kopitar’s early goal in the second period chased Gibson from the game, and the Ducks never recovered. While Corey Perry pulled the Ducks within three in the third period, it didn’t matter. When the final horn sounded, the Kings took Game 7 by a score of 6-2 and SoCal bragging rights.
3. Reverse sweep against the Sharks (4/30/14):
Patrick Marleau’s overtime goal in Game 3 put the Kings on the brink of elimination. Anytime a team goes down 0-3 in a series, the chances of winning four straight are beyond slim. Only three teams before the 2014 playoffs had ever come back from a 0-3 series hole to take the series. The 1942 Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, and 2010 Philadelphia Flyers were the three teams. So, you’re saying there’s a chance? Possibly.
For the Kings, the mindset was simple. One game at a time. Game 4 saw the Kings skate away with a 6-3 victory to stay alive for another game. Game 5 saw the Kings win 3-0 behind a Quick 30-save shutout. With the Kings back in the series, perhaps doubt started to creep in for San Jose with the recent playoff struggles the team had endured.
Game 6 saw the Kings win 4-1 behind three third-period goals to force a Game 7. San Jose struck first early in the second period on a goal from defenseman Matt Irwin. The Kings would score five unanswered goals, two of them empty netters, to complete the reverse sweep and send a stunned San Jose Sharks home early.
The Kings became the fourth NHL team to overcome a 0-3 series hole and take the series.
2. Alec Martinez sends the Kings to the Stanley Cup Final (6/1/14):
The last two Stanley Cup winners squared off in the Western Conference Final. The Kings would take a 3-1 series lead, putting the defending champions on the brink of elimination. It was the first time the Kings could end a series on their terms. Chicago didn’t go away quietly as Patrick Kane erupted in Games 5 and 6, which saw him factor in on seven of Chicago’s nine goals in those two games, including the primary assist on the game-winning goal in Game 5 and the game-winning goal in Game 6.
Once again, the Kings would have to play another game seven on the road if they wanted to advance. Game 7 saw Chicago jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Kings battled back, and it was back-and-forth from that moment on. Tied at four after regulation with each side getting bounces and breaks, Game 7 required overtime.
Williams picked up the puck behind Chicago’s net and found Alec Martinez at the blue line. Martinez flung a shot from the blue line that went off defenseman Nick Leddy and, as a result, floated over Corey Crawford to send the Kings to the Stanley Cup Final.
This marked the third consecutive game-seven victory on the road in the playoffs for the Kings. They had some magic left in the tank.
1. Alec Martinez clinches the Stanley Cup (6/13/14):
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final needed double overtime. Lord Stanley was in the building, and the crowd could sense it. “WE WANT THE CUP” chants broke out as the Kings started a rush after breaking out of their zone. Toffoli shot the puck that went off Lunqvist’s right pad and right onto the stick of Martinez, who fired the puck past Lunqvist’s stick and into the back of the net.
The goal by Martinez not only secured the Kings’ second Stanley Cup in franchise history, but the celebration by Martinez after the goal was scored prompted the nickname “jazz hands” to be born.
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Featured image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images/New York Daily News