STANLEY CUP FINALS : Notes on a Scorecard

Stanley Cup finals journal, chapter 4: 3:02 p.m.--On the radio, the Kings’ Pat Conacher says of the Canadiens: “They’re arrogant and cocky. I take that personally.” . . . 3:30--Murray’s Tickets is asking--and getting--anywhere from $250 to $750 for a ticket. . . . 3:35--Canadien captain Guy Carbonneau is working on his stick in the hallway outside the dressing room. The curve of the blade looks legal to me, but I will have to check with Jacques Demers. . . . 5:05--A man in the lobby is wearing a purple-and-gold jersey with “Komadoski” on the back. No Johnny-come-lately King fan, this guy. . . . 5:20--The Kings receive their first standing ovation of the day as they take the ice for pregame warm-ups. . . . 6:01--Charlie Huddy, as expected, and Dave Taylor, not as expected, are announced among the King scratches. . . . 6:02--Rick Minch, Kings’ public relations director, reveals that Taylor is suffering from a strained right shoulder. . . . 6:12--Rinkside spectator Ronald Reagan is wearing a Kings’ cap. . . . 6:14--Carbonneau hits the goaltender’s best friend, the post, on a two-on-one rush. . . . 6:23--The Kings, who were supposed to come out flying, are getting as many shots on goal as the U.S. World Cup soccer team. . . .. 6:24--Remember Jimmy Carson? No. 12 makes a surprise appearance on ice and sweeps the puck away from harm’s way right in front of Kelly Hrudey. . . . 6:32--Kirk Muller beats Jari Kurri on the faceoff, controls the puck himself and beats Hrudey for the first goal at 10:57 of the opening period. . . . 6:38--The shots on goal are 12-2 in favor of the Canadiens. I would hate to see what the time-of-possession statistic is. . . . 6:40--Rob Blake flattens Benoit Brunet with a clean check. . . . 6:45--The Kings complete their 16th consecutive unsuccessful power play. . . . 7:14--Vincent Damphousse rebounds Mike Keane’s shot for a power-play goal that puts Montreal ahead, 2-0, at 5:24 of the second period and silences 16,005. . . . 7:14 (cont.)--Just to make things a little more difficult, Marty McSorley draws a 10-minute misconduct penalty. . . . 7:17--Mike Donnelly puts the Kings on the scoreboard and the crowd back into the game with a rebound of his own shot at 6:33 of the second. . . . 7:20--Both coaches continue to chew gum. Give Barry Melrose the edge over Demers in speed and style. It sure beats watching some baseball managers spit tobacco or smoke cigarettes. . . . 7:30--The net behind Roy is unhinged for, oh, maybe the 80th time tonight. . . .. 7:48--Surprise. The Kings score a power-play goal! McSorley puts the puck past Roy from the doorstep after a pass from Wayne Gretzky, who had worked his customary magic behind the net. It is 2-2 with five seconds remaining in the second period. . . . 7:52--”We’re going to win,” a son says to his father during the intermission. “Pray, son, that there is no overtime,” says the father. . . . 8:06--A few punches are thrown, but no penalties are called and no damage done. Have you heard the new joke? “I went to a fight and a baseball game broke out.”. . . . 8:13--The Kings swarm the net on a power play, but Roy keeps making save after save and nearly single-handed and footed kills the penalty. . . . 8:24--Hrudey robs Paul DiPietro. . . . 8:24 (cont.)--Hrudey robs DiPietro again. . . . 8:41--Canadien center Stephan Lebeau hits the goal post. . . . 8:45--Tomas Sandstrom, who has had more good chances than anyone in either uniform, tries to jam the puck in with a minute left in regulation, but Roy won’t oblige. . . . 8:46--What else, but overtime? . . . 9:10--The first five minutes are fast and furious and packed with good scoring opportunities, but both masked men are up to the task. . . . 9:10--Carson hits the post off a faceoff. . . . 9:16--Damphousse trips Granato at center ice, but, this being overtime, referee Andy Van Hellemond swallows his whistle. On the radio, Nick Nickson tells his audience: “You aren’t going to get a penalty call at center ice in a Stanley Cup overtime.” . . . 9:29--Alexei Zhitnik leaves his feet and charges into a Canadien, but this also goes uncalled. . . . 9:30--John LeClair banks the puck off Darryl Sydor’s shin guard to give the Canadiens their 10th consecutive overtime victory in the playoffs, ending one of the most exciting extra periods ever seen, and breaking thousands of hearts, 99% of them from Los Angeles.