by Larry Leavitt

New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals: There are multiple ways you could look at this last series that the Rangers won in six games. The Rangers came out firing on all cylinders with a very strong game, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was making some amazing saves. The score in game six could have been 5 or 6-0, but it was a Ranger one goal win over the Montreal Candadiens 1-0.

The true love of the sport and the best feeling of the game was having of all people the Rangers center Dominic Moore a former San Jose Shark score the game winning goal and the only goal for the Rangers to help them go onto the finals. Moore when he was with San Jose found out that his wife had cancer and missed the playoffs because they were taking care of his wife.

Moore left hockey after a year she passed away and finally came back into hockey and got back with the Rangers and what a Cinderella story for Moore and you couldn’t be happier for the guy who really went through some trials and tribulations in his personal life, hockey life and now he’s on top of the world getting that game winning goal to help New York get into the finals.

For the Rangers it’s huge that they are in the Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL offices are right there in New York and New York is the major metropolitan communications center for sports and of course the number one TV market in the U.S. let alone the world. The Rangers haven’t been in the finals since 1993 whiich they won against the L.A. Kings.

Chicago (3) vs. Los Angeles (3): The Chicago Blackhawks evened up the series 3-3 on Friday night against the Los Angeles Kings with a one goal win 4-3 in game six forcing a game seven which will be Sunday night in Chicago that will decide who will go to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Hawks have now won two striaght after losing three straight and falling 3-1 in the series only to even it up on Friday.

The Hawks have come back strong, they never took a shift off, and the Kings had their chances, they had with their shots and they couldn’t find the back of the net, the Kings out shot the Hawks 29-25.This game six was razor thin one goal win for Chicago, just getting by the Kings again. Game five the game that sparked Chicago and got them their mojo back was one of the best hockey games I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a few decades worth in my time.

The Hawks won in double over time in game five 5-4 and it didn’t matter what teams were playing but just watching the two teams at work, the engery of the sport, they said the 20 minute third period took 26 minutes because they had few stoppages of plays because of whistles. The on ice officals were letting them play the Kings and Hawks were going back and forth and each team had chances and I didn’t want to see it end.

In game five the star of the game was the Hawks Michal Handzus who scored the game winning goal in that second overtime for his fourth goal of the playoffs. This was the game that got the Hawks right back into this series and they tied this thing up in game six on Friday night without forcing a sudden death and yes a one goal victory to bring this to a game seven on Sunday.

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