Ilya Kovalchuk

When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 1150. Records: Kings 5-1-1, Devils 3-2-1. Update: The hot goalie will be sitting. Kings Coach Terry Murray decided a few days ago that he would start Jonathan Bernier, not Jonathan Quick. He made that decision before Saturday's game against Dallas, which was Quick's third consecutive shutout. New Jersey practiced at Staples Center on Monday and did some tinkering, having Zach Parise center a line of Ilya Kovalchuk and Nick Palmieri, according to Devils media.

Well, it's here, finally. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils is hours away. Who do you think will win the Cup? Is this the year the Kings finally win that elusive title? A quick comparison of the two teams: NEW JERSEY DEVILS Regular season: 48-28-6 (102 points) Playoffs: Def. Florida, 4-3; def. Philadelphia, 4-1; def. New York Rangers , 4-2 Regular-season power play: 17.2% (14th) Postseason power play: 12 for 66 (18.2%)

Ilya Kovalchuk scored four goals and Russia stormed into the Olympic men's hockey quarterfinals with a dominating 9-2 victory over Latvia on Sunday. After dropping the opener to Slovakia, 5-3, Russia has won three straight by a combined score of 15-2. "I don't think we've played our best hockey yet," Kovalchuk said.

If Ilya Kovalchuk plays this well with a injured right foot, how much better will he be when he's 100%? Kovalchuk hardly seems to care. The Atlanta captain knows he and the Thrashers can only improve. "Oh, definitely," he said. "It's still going to take me time to heal all the way." Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov each had two goals and two assists to help the Thrashers beat the Kings, 7-0, on Friday night for their third straight victory. Atlanta rookie Evander Kane also scored two goals and had an assist.

Dustin Penner has been here before, just one victory away from the Stanley Cup, so he knows what to expect over the next 36 hours. Some anxious moments. A restless night. "Your mind starts racing," said the Kings forward who won an NHL title with the Ducks five years ago. "You can feel the energy from the position you're in. " The Kings have a chance to sweep the New Jersey Devils and celebrate their sport's ultimate victory on Wednesday night at Staples Center. Until then, they must try to remain calm and focused, with the help of a few platitudes.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored a career-high four goals and the Atlanta Thrashers rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2, Friday night at Atlanta and send the defending Stanley Cup champions to their sixth consecutive loss. After Atlanta fell behind, 2-0, late in the first period, Kovalchuk cut Tampa Bay's lead in half with 1:49 remaining.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Leave it to a former Duck to make things tougher on the Kings. New Jersey Devils forward Ryan Carter finally solved Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. Carter's goal three minutes into the third period tied the score, 1-1, and allowed the Devils to get into overtime in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night at the Prudential Center. It was the first goal Quick has given up in the third period or overtime since Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against Phoenix, a NHL-record streak of 184 minutes 19 seconds.

THIRD PERIOD There will be a Game 5 in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final after the Devils scored an empty-net goal. New Jersey winger Ilya Kovalchuk gathered the puck at the L.A. blue line and flipped in a shot with 19 seconds left to give the Devils a 3-1 lead. The teams will meet at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., for Game 5. ---- It just got worse for the Kings. Defenseman Willie Miitchell is sent off for high sticking with 2 minutes 50 seconds left.  The Devils, though, are 0 for 2 on power plays in Game 4, with Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick stopping four shots.

A week ago the Ducks were 12 points out of the last West playoff spot and seemed headed toward being broken up and plundered by contending teams. A rare locker-room speech from General Manager Bob Murray and a season-best four-game winning streak have lifted them within six points of eighth place. Suddenly, the playoffs are no longer impossible for the Ducks, who are following their pattern of awakening in the second half of the season. Murray said he never considered firing Coach Randy Carlyle and wasn't close to conceding the season before this reversal, saying trades are difficult to swing under the salary cap and too much time remains before the March 3 trade deadline.

Long before Kings fans yelled in unison, "We want the Cup!" as stunning a chant as ever inside Staples Center, the players continued to make it oh-so-close to happening. It's no secret how, really. The Kings stuffed the New Jersey Devils power play, blanking them six times on the man-advantage Monday, including a five-on-three that lasted 59 seconds in the first period. The scoreboard proclaimed a 4-0 Kings victory. History would show they're in excellent shape with a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final.