Newark, NJ – Zach Parise's power-play goal was the only score of the first period as New Jersey holds a 1-0 lead over Los Angeles after 20 minutes of play in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The tally came on the power play after Willie Mitchell was called for interference on Patrik Elias.
A shot from Travis Zajac had got behind Jonathan Quick shortly into the advantage, and despite mad action in the crease, the puck was eventually swept away from danger.
Later in the same advantage, Ilya Kovalchuk threw the puck into the Kings' zone down the left side and Quick came out to the left of the net to make a play. He sent the puck the other way, but it bounced off the boards and caromed to the right where Parise was able to stuff it in at 12:45 for his first goal and point of the Finals.
Earlier in the period, LA's Justin Williams caught the right post with a wrist shot about three minutes in while Martin Brodeur made a pokecheck on a Dustin Brown rush to the net in the first minute.
Brodeur stopped all seven shots that came his way in the first period while Quick made three saves.
The Kings are hoping to wrap up the series for the first Cup victory in the franchise's history, while the Devils are looking to do the improbable and rally for four straight victories to capture the Cup for the first time since 2003.
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