by Larry Leavitt

Los Angeles vs. Chicago: The Los Angeles Kings seemed to find a way to get into another gear and they showed it again as the Kings won their third straight over the Chicago Blackhawks in game five at the Staples Center on Monday night. The Hawks have the depth to win but they just haven’t shown up yet.

Don’t expect the Hawks to lay down and let the Kings walk all over them but yes it’s pretty amazing how the Kings seem to ramp it up and everybody whose stepping in is stepping up and making a contribution. They’re showing a true team spirit and a sporting way to win.

The Kings are a different team since the first round and it’s unexplainable how the San Jose Sharks won the first three games off this Kings team and put them on the brink of elimination and they came back and won four straight. This Kings team is just like their re-energized like they have a new sense of health and energy to go out there and pound the boards.

The Kings aren’t scoring right away and that’s okay they know that it’s a long game as long as they play the full 60 minutes they can get them in the end and they’ve come back and played a real strong second and third period in the last few games. The Hawks need to weather the storm and stay on their game plan and the thing about Chicago their not capitalizing on some of the chances their getting.

Montreal vs. NY Rangers: The Montreal Canadiens are in much of the same position as the Blackhawks are one game from being eliminated. In the last couple games the Rangers have been absolutely phenomenal. Game four was back and forth at the Bell Centre, it was punishing, hard hitting, fast pace, they were countering off each others mistakes.

If a player’s puck bounces out early, they have to play defense quick, and then back and forth and their are passes out and they have to play defense quick again. In overtime games and sudden death the first goal wins. That’s the first mistake you see at the end of the game.

Game five was an overtime loss for Montreal 3-2, they played a good hard game, and they fought back and they came from behind with two goals. The Habs played at MSG in New York, they played tough, and they were countering all the right moves and the bottom line is at the end the Rangers Martin St.Louis puts one past Habs goaltender Dustin Tokarski.

The Rangers seemed to get a lot of breakouts, there have been passes right to guys who stretch passes going out and they find an opening and see the puck coming to their team and start skating down the ice and before you know it they put it on their stick and the Rangers can do some damage on offense, it’s great hockey play and the Rangers certainly learned how to adapt in this series against Montreal.

Larry Leavitt is covering the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs for http://www.sportsradioservice.com