Kings vs. Devils: New Jersey Must Capture Game 1 to Set Tone for Series

The Los Angeles Kings have been on a roll, and if the Devils want to stop the Kings' march to Stanley Cup glory, they need to win Game 1. The one thing the Kings haven't had to deal with throughout the postseason is trailing in a series.

The Kings are largely an inexperienced team with an average age of 26 years old, and there is no way to know how they'll react to staring up at their opponents. We do know the Kings are playing great now, and they have grown comfortable with their role as a team that is expected to win.

They have built more and more confidence, and now, they truly believe they are the best team in the NHL.

Beyond just handing the Kings an early deficit, the Devils desperately need to protect home ice. The Kings have disregarded that supposed disadvantage throughout the playoffs. Up to now, the Kings are undefeated on the road in the postseason and 12-2 overall.

Both of their losses have taken place at home with the Canucks and Coyotes staving off sweeps. The Devils must remind them that home ice matters.

The goaltending matchup is huge in this one as well. Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur is the legend, but throughout the playoffs, no goalie has played better than Jonathan Quick.

The Devils have dispatched one hot goaltender and Vezina Award finalist in New York Rangers star Henrik Lundqvist, and they will need to take away some of Quick's confidence to beat the Kings.

Quick is playing so loose and so well right now, he is the key to the Kings' postseason run. His goals against average is an other-wordly 1.54 in the postseason. 

The Devils need a big Game 1 performance from Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk to put pressure on Quick. Of the 14 postseason games, including the two losses, only six of the contests have been decided by one goal.

This tells me that Quick and the Kings have been comfortable for the majority of the postseason. The Devils must change that by getting off to a fast start.

If they drop the series opener, I believe they will become just another victim of the Kings as they make their way to a Stanley Cup championship.

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