New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Jeff Carter scored with just 0.7 seconds showing on the clock to give the Los Angeles Kings a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Shortly after killing off a penalty, the Kings skated down the other way and Justin Williams gained the zone through the middle, slipping over to the right before sending a short pass back to his left. Carter took the feed and from the top of the right circle he snapped a shot in off the glove of Henrik Lundqvist.
There weren't many offensive chances in the first period as the teams combined for just nine shots, with Jonathan Quick stopping four to keep the Rangers off the board.
Los Angeles leads this best-of-seven series, 2-0, after taking both games at home, the first in overtime, the second in double overtime.
The first chance of the game went to the Kings around 3 1/2 minutes in as Matt Greene's big blast from the right point was swallowed up by Lundqvist with no rebound.
A bit later, Carl Hagelin attempted a wraparound from the right side that Quick stopped, and it was Hagelin again with a good chance as he one-timed a Martin St. Louis pass from down low halfway through the frame, but Quick was there again.
The Rangers nearly grabbed the lead when Mats Zuccarello found himself all alone at the left side with a rebound chance, but Quick was able to dive back and use the stick to deflect the puck away with 7 1/2 minutes left.
Moments later, a Derek Dorsett one-timer from the right circle was also stopped by Quick.
The first and only power play of the period went to New York after Willie Mitchell was whistled for high-sticking Zuccarello with 2:18 to play in the first. New York, though, managed just one chance on a Zuccarello one-timer from the right point that Quick knocked away.
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