Jeff Carter scored 13:42 into overtime to lift the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and move closer to their first Stanley Cup with an NHL post-season record equaling 10th straight road win.
The best-of-seven series now shifts to the West coast for Games Three and Four on Monday and Wednesday with the Kings up 2-0 and in position to finish off the Devils and hoist the Cup on home ice.
Carter spoiled the party for the capacity crowd at the Prudential Center when he took control of the puck in the New Jersey zone, turned into the slot and snapped a shot past Martin Brodeur.
Drew Doughty scored for the Kings in regulation while Ryan Carter answered for the Devils early in the third period to force overtime.
The Kings also won Game One in overtime by the same 2-1 score. It marks the first time in 61 years that the first two games of the Stanley Cup final have gone to overtime.
The victory was another step in a remarkable journey for the Kings, who scraped into the post-season as the eighth seeds but have reigned supreme in the playoffs, now boasting a 14-2 record.
There was no panic on the New Jersey bench when the game began, the Devils in a familiar spot having dropped the opening game each of their previous two series.
Right from the opening faceoff, the Devils played with an urgency and purpose that was missing in the Game One but could not put a puck past Jonathan Quick.
Despite having the early run of play it was the Kings who got on the scoreboard first, Doughty powering his way across the New Jersey blueline and ripping a wrist shot past Brodeur at the 7:49 mark.
It was the 10th time in 16 playoff games the Kings have opened the scoring.
The Devils continued to test Quick in a scoreless second period but finally made the breakthrough three minutes into the third when Carter redirected Marek Zidicky's blast from the point past the Los Angeles netminder.
(Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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