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LOS ANGELES, CA. (CNN, June 14, 2014)- The Los Angeles Kings scored in double overtime Friday night, defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 and winning their second Stanley Cup in three years.
Alec Martinez slapped in the winning goal and the National Hockey League’s championship trophy went to the Kings after a thrilling Game 5 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
The Kings had to work hard to claim the prize.
Los Angeles took an early lead with a goal by Justin Williams, but the Rangers battled back and tied it with a power-play goal by Chris Kreider late in the second period. Brian Boyle scored again for the Rangers minutes later, making the score 2-1 New York.
The Kings tied it 2-2 in the third period with a power-play goal by Marian Gaborik. The crowd chanted “We want the cup” as the game headed down the stretch of regulation time.
The scrappy Rangers took only one game in the series, a 2-1 victory Wednesday in New York.
Los Angeles netted its first Stanley Cup in 2012 by defeating the New Jersey Devils. That title ended decades of futility for a franchise struggling for success in a sport typically associated with frigid temperatures and icy lakes.
Their run over the past couple years has given the Kings attention and traction with a metropolitan fan base dominated by the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, baseball’s Dodgers and Angels, and football and basketball at UCLA and the University of Southern California.
