Stanley Cup Finals 2012: 3 Things the Devils Must Do in Game 2

The Los Angeles Kings beat the New Jersey Devils in overtime Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. They extended their perfect road game record in their 2-1 victory.

Kings netminder Jonathan Quick put on another elite performance in saving the 16 of 17 shots he faced. Even though he was on the losing end, veteran Martin Brodeur played well, too. He saved 23 of 25 shots and drew a penalty.

The Kings outplayed the Devils for the majority of the 68-minute contest. Head coach Peter DeBoer even fessed up to this, saying, "If we had have won, we would have been sneaking one out." That said, the Devils have a few areas open for improvement heading into Game 2.

Keep the Puck out of Their Zone

The Devils played sold defense. They tallied a total of 15 blocked shots throughout 68:13 of play. Despite that, Brodeur still faced 25 shots.

The Kings were relentless on the forecheck. By forcing turnovers in the offensive zone, they turned defense into offense. This paid dividends halfway through the first period when Jordan Nolan set up Colin Fraser with a beautiful one-timer for the first goal of the game.

Just like blocking shots from reaching Brodeur is crucial, keeping the puck out of their zone is important in preventing the Kings scorers from striking. Obviously, they can't get shots on goal without being in the offensive zone. On top of that, they also can't force offensive zone turnovers without the puck being in the offensive zone.

Shots on Goal

In more than three periods of play, the Devils only recorded 17 shots on goal. The Kings only blocked six shots so wasn't as if the Kings wouldn't let the puck even reach Quick.

In the end, the Devils simply struggled to get the puck on net. After ending the first period down by one goal, they only managed three shots on goal in the second. At one point, they had gone over 14 minutes without a shot on goal.

The most basic principle of hockey is that you can't score unless the puck makes it to the net.

Forecheck

The Devils' forecheck has been one of their most impressive aspects of their postseason game. Forcing turnovers in the offensive zone played a huge role in the Devils making it to the finals.

In Game 1, their forecheck was on and off. When it was there, they were forechecking full force. If not that, the Devils hardly had a discernible forecheck.

If they have any hope of keeping up with the Kings in this series, the Devils need to answer with an equally aggressive forecheck.

Also, the Devils' forecheck could be instrumental in slowing the Kings' puck movement.

Conclusion

While they were outplayed, the Devils managed to keep Game 1 close. They demonstrated that they are more than capable of slowing the Kings' rampage through the playoffs. By improving on some aspects of their play, the Devils could snap the Kings' road streak.

After an exciting Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, the Los Angeles Kings lead the New Jersey Devils 1-0. The Devils should not be counted out after a Game 1 loss. After all, they lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals.

The Kings have steamrolled through the postseason, but I definitely expect the Devils to put up a strong fight. Winning the Cup won't be an easy feat for either club.

Michael Prunka is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist. To stay up to date with his WWE and NHL commentary, you can like his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter.