Kings of the NHL

Los Angeles Kings: Stanley Cup Champions.  Has a good ring if you're a Kings fan, doesn't it?  Get used to it for the next three months, as the Kings took the series 4-2 in convincing fashion.  Of course, they got a little help in the form of a 5-minute major on the New Jersey Devils' Steve Bernier and the Kings would go on to score three goals in that 5-minute power play. (Writer's note: a 5-minute power play from a major gets served all the way through, regardless if the team with the advantage scores)  From there, it was only a matter of time before Los Angeles could add another championship to its case.

It was only a few years ago that Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick was fending off competition from backup Jonathan Bernier.  It was only last year that Anze Kopitar was sitting at home with an injury as the Kings were bounced in the first round last year.  It was only a few months ago that Dustin Brown was on the trading block and the Kings made a desperation trade for Jeff Carter.  It was only a few months ago that Dustin Penner's legacy was set in stone as the guy who threw out his back while enjoying delicious pancakes.  Today, They are all champions, and each one played a big role in that event.  Don't forget Mike Richards, who found his game when his ex-Flyer running buddy Carter came to the Kings in a trade and Willie Mitchell, a former Canuck who has given almost a decade of sweat to get here.  Drew Doughty, much maligned for holding out before the season, played a big role in the Kings' run to a championship.  Throw in a midseason coaching change in the form of Darryl Sutter and you have history, as the Kings are the first eight seed to ever win the Stanley Cup.

Yes, this year's Los Angeles Kings did what the Wayne Gretzky-led teams could not do, and they did so in convincing fashion.  Not even the Triple Crown line from the 1980's got the Kings a championship.  Yes, this Kings team is truly special in more ways than one, and now, they will forever be remembered as a champion.  It really is good to be a King.