Nhl Playoff

THE LOS ANGELES Kings are one win away from putting a Hollywood ending on one of the most spectacular playoff runs in NHL history. Jonathan Quick made 22 saves in his third shutout of the postseason, Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings rolled to the brink of the franchise's first NHL title, beating the New Jersey Devils, 4-0, in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night to take a 3-0 series lead. Alec Martinez scored the opening goal, and Jeff Carter and Justin Williams added late power-play goals as the Western Conference champion Kings moved one win away from finishing one of the most spectacular playoff runs in league history.

When this wacky series started, the Stanley Cup favorites, the Pittsburgh Penguins, did the unthinkable - blowing multiple-goal leads at home as they lost Games 1 and 2. Now the Flyers have a chance to make the Penguins pay for their grievous beginning. On Sunday, at high noon, the Flyers will try to end Pittsburgh's season at the Wells Fargo Center. It won't be easy. After three straight losses, the March of the Penguins is in full throttle. Pittsburgh has won two straight and, with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury carrying a wave of momentum into Game 6, the Flyers have a major challenge.

Through all the insanity on Friday night in Pittsburgh, Jaromir Jagr did not flinch. His eyes did not widen. Having skated in more Stanley Cup playoff games (171) than teammates Matt Read and Sean Couturier have regular-season games combined (156), there isn't much that fazes him. "Don't forget, I've played 20 years," Jagr said. "I've seen a lot of wild ones. " It comes as no surprise, then, that Jagr has been in this situation before. In fact, it was with the Penguins in 2000.

EASTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Ottawa (52-21-9) vs. No. 8 Tampa Bay (43-33-6) Strengths: Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley lead a swift, highly skilled group of forwards, but the real strength of the Senators is along the blue line with towering Zdeno Chara and the seasoned Wade Redden. The defending champion Lightning will rely on their deep and talented group of forwards. Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis head a well-balanced crop. Weaknesses: Ottawa has few, but the uncertain status of injured goalie Dominik Hasek could become a distraction.

The most physically demanding tournament in professional team sports begins Wednesday with the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's a time of the year when injuries become closely guarded secrets, coaches can't be taken at their word, nerves become frayed, and razors and shaving cream are set aside as players carry on the tradition of growing playoff beards. Eight weeks from now, a grubby-looking captain of one of the 16 clubs involved in the playoffs will hoist the Stanley Cup. It's likely his face will reveal the pain and sacrifice it took, but his smile will light up the arena or, in the game's vernacular, the building.

EASTERN CONFERENCE Washington over Rangers in five. Caps too deep for Callahan-less Rangers. Flyers over Buffalo in six. But if Pronger isn't ready, Sabres will advance. Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay in seven. Goaltending the difference as Penguins survive. Boston over Montreal in six. Defense gives Bruins look of a conference finalist. WESTERN CONFERENCE Vancouver over Chicago in six. Payback time as Canucks oust champs.

During his 11-year NHL playing career, Bill Clement was a member of the Flyers' Stanley Cup championship teams of 1974 and '75 and appeared in two All-Star games. Since then, he has covered the sport on television for ESPN, NBC, TNT, Channel 17, PRISM, USA, the Madison Square Garden network and Canada's CTV. When Clement says he has seen a lot of hockey, he means he has seen a lot of hockey. But even as veteran an observer as Clement can't recall a better-played or more intense three-game stretch than games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference final, both won by the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils, and Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, a 3-2 Vancouver Canucks overtime victory over the Rangers.

Until Friday night, Montreal goalie Patrick Roy had been resurrecting memories of Ken Dryden with his string of outstanding performances in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Quebecois were depicting the 20-year-old Roy (pronounced RWAH) as Monsieur Froid because of his remarkable poise. Until Friday night, tenacious Montreal center Guy Carbonneau practically had both hands wrapped around the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the playoff MVP. Until Friday night, Flames coach Bob Johnson got heartburn at the mere thought of trying to kill off penalties without Steve Bozek on the ice. But in the Flames' 5-2 win over the Canadiens in Game 1 of the best-of- seven Stanley Cup finals, Roy unraveled, Carbonneau and his linemates had three even-strength goals scored against them, and Bozek was in the penalty box when Dan Quinn scored a critical short-handed goal to give Calgary a 3-1 lead early in the third period.

It was well past midnight at 150 N. Causeway St., and Boston Bruins general manager Harry Sinden sat in his office, watching the ice cubes melt in his Chivas Regal. He looked for a word to describe the National Hockey League's postseason. And found it. "Ugly," said Sinden with a smirk. "That's the word. This has been Uggg- leee. " Sinden was trying to recover from the latest fiasco of the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs, a fiasco that had just occurred next door at the Boston Garden.