Jonathan Quick made 22 saves in his third shutout of the postseason, Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings rolled to the brink of the franchise's first NHL title, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-0 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night to take a 3-0 series lead.
Alec Martinez scored the opening goal, and Jeff Carter and Justin Williams added late power-play goals as the Western Conference champion Kings moved one win away from finishing one of the most spectacular playoff runs in league history.
Eighth-seeded Los Angeles improved to 15-2 in the postseason and jumped to a 3-0 lead in its fourth straight series - a first in NHL history.
The Kings lead the series 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. They return to Staples Center for Game 4 Wednesday night.
It hasn't been an easy series against the New Jersey Devils, but certainly an exciting one. Both games were won in overtime - something that hasn't happened in the finals since 1951.
"They've been looking really strong, and that overtime finish on the last game was just impeccable," said Scott Nederlander, a Kings fan. "I think they really got what it takes to get the job done."
L.A. fought its way from the eighth seed to being two wins away from the coveted cup. The Devils have been L.A.'s toughest opponent in the postseason so far, but even with the series lead and home ice advantage, the Kings aren't taking anything for granted.
"I think we just got to reset and refocus. We got to go back to L.A. as if the series is just starting," said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty after the Game 2 win.
The Kings have always had a solid fan base, but the cup excitement has created more than a few new fans.
"I think it's great for hockey, and I think it's great for the Los Angeles area," said Robert Oquinn, a Kings fan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
