Slava Voynov News

The Los Angeles Kings, a team with numerous former Flyers on the ice and in management, took a stranglehold on the Stanley Cup Finals with a 2-1 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night at the Prudential Center.

Kings defenseman Matt Greene, rear, listens to coach Darryl Sutter during practice a day before Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The New Jersey Devils would love nothing more than to have sniper Ilya Kovalchuk find his groove in the Stanley Cup Final, just as he did here in the series-clinching Game 6 of the NHL Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers on May 25, 2012 in Newark, N.J. NEWARK, N.J. -A Peter DeBoer's hackles come up whenever the old saw about "your ... (more)

Neither the New Jersey Devils nor the Los Angeles Kings seem to be too concerned about who is on the ice against high-powered Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk.

As Russian defenseman Slava Voynov improves his English, Kings head coach Darryl Sutter might be next in line for an interpreter.

It was a text from a friend, a fellow grinder who had put in years, and sacrificed his body and yet never reached the Stanley Cup Finals; had never had the chance to be playing in June, to have an opportunity to be immortal, to be not just an entry on hockey-reference.com, but a name engraved on the Stanley Cup, displayed in the Hall-of-Fame, there ... (more)

The Los Angeles Kings balanced attack was one of several reasons why the upstart eighth-seeded club skated through 14 games of the first three rounds in such a tidy manner.

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Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick makes a save on a shot by New Jersey Devils' David Clarkson in the final minute in the third period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in Newark, N.J. Kopitar's outstretched stick will go down in Kings lore and be replayed over and over again, for Kopitar made sure the ... (more)

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov tries to send the puck out of the Kings zone as New Jersey Devils center Ryan Carter approaches in the 1st period during Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final May 30, 2012 at the Prudential Center.

All these years later, he still wonders why this guy was so generous with his time and knowledge.

A funny thing happened when Ilya Kovalchuk left the Atlanta Thrashers two summers ago - his departure changed the destiny of at least three teams.

The Los Angeles Kings have yet to let a playoff game get too far out of reach, never falling behind by more than two goals.

In the playoffs, for any sport, depth is key. No team ever makes a deep run relying on just two or three big guns and nothing else.

On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings' first day back at work after a lengthy break, the stereo was blaring inside the dressing room at their practice facility, the Toyota Sports Center.

And we've seen it again and again since the salary cap came in: Teams winning the Stanley Cup with key players playing on cheap contracts, many of them entry level deals.

It's as though some are waiting for this big apology from Brian Burke, a mea culpa moment, an acknowledgment that the success of the Los Angeles Kings in these Stanley Cup playoffs is undeniable proof that he miscalculated with the Maple Leafs this season.

It has taken decades to build in sunny L.A., but the Kings finally have a 'rabid' fan base.

Dustin Penner scores the winning goal in overtime as the Kings defeat the Phoenix Coyotes, 4-3, in Game 5 and advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1993.

Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards, right, tries to score against Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals in Los Angeles, Sunday, May 20, 2012.