The 2012 Stanley Cup Finals are here! Whether you’re rooting for the Los Angeles Kings to secure the first Stanley Cup Championship in their franchise’s history or you’re rooting for the New Jersey Devils to lock up their 3rd Cup in the 21st century (4th in franchise history) there’s plenty to enjoy in this final clash of the 2011-2012 NHL Season.
3 Reasons To Watch The 2012 Stanley Cup Finals
1) Goalie Play – Martin Brodeur is considered by many the greatest NHL goalie of all time, but another Stanley Cup victory on his resume would help silence any argument against his legacy. Already the owner of multiple individual and team records, there’s not much left for this 40 year-old future hall of famer to achieve other than leading his team to the 4th Stanley Cup of his career. Jonathan Quick is the epitome of a “goalie standing on his head” right now. In the prime of his career, Quick’s play throughout these playoffs has often been jaw-dropping. Will the pressure of taking the Kings to the top of the NHL mountain be too much for Quick to continue this pace of play?
2) The Coaches – Not often in the finals of any sport do you run into two coaches who are in their first season with their current teams – which is what we have this year in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. Peter DeBoer joined the NJ Devils at the beginning of this season after 3 lackluster seasons with the Florida Panthers that ultimately led to his termination as head coach of that franchise. Darryl Sutter joined the LA Kings mid-season after Terry Murray was fired 33 games in, and led the team to a 25-13-11 record which was good enough to secure the 8th and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Whichever way the series goes, one of these coaches will star in their own Cinderella story as they lift the Stanley Cup trophy.
3) The Seeding – Hockey unlike any other sport is prone to upsets in the playoffs but a number 6 seed versus number 8 is the lowest seeded matchup ever in the NHL finals. No matter who wins this year’s Stanley Cup, they will go down as the lowest seeded team in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup Championship (currently the 5th seeded 1995 NJ Devils hold that mark). The Devils fought their way to a 12-6 record throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs as they took out the #3 seeded Florida Panthers, #5 seeded Philadelphia Flyers and #1 seeded NY Rangers. The LA Kings were even more efficient during the Western Conference playoffs disposing of the #1 seeded Vancouver Canucks, the #2 seeded St. Louis Blues and the #3 seeded Phoenix Coyotes on their way to a 12-2 record.
2102 Stanley Cup Final Games Schedule
No matter what reason you choose to tune into this year’s Stanley Cup matchup, you’ll be able to catch each game on DISH® so you won’t miss any of the dramatic hockey action.
| Date/Time (EST) | Matchup | Network | DISH Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, May 30 @ 8pm | LA Kings @ NJ Devils | NBC | Check Local Listings |
| Sat, June 2 @ 8 pm | LA Kings @ NJ Devils | NBC | Check Local Listings |
| Mon, June 4 @ 8 pm | NJ Devils @ LA Kings | NBCSN | 159 |
| Wed, June 6 @ 8 pm | NJ Devils @ LA Kings | NBCSN | 159 |
| Sat, June 9 @ 8 pm* | LA Kings @ NJ Devils | NBC | Check Local Listings |
| Mon, June 11 @ 8 pm* | NJ Devils @ LA Kings | NBC | Check Local Listings |
| Wed, June 13 @ 8 pm* | LA Kings @ NJ Devils | NBC | Check Local Listings |
*Games 5-7 will be played if necessary
If you’re not a DISH® customer taking advantage of all the great sports programming on DISH®, it’s never too late to sign up for DISH®and catch all the NHL action throughout the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs!
