Game 3 of the Western and Eastern finals gave NHL fans another round of great playoff hockey.  On Thursday, May 17, the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 2-1, to take a 3-0 lead in the series.  All the way on the other coast, the New York Rangers shutout the New Jersey Devils, 3-0, taking a one game lead, 2-1, on Saturday, May 19.

    The Kings are definitely proving they are the best in the West.  Though they trailed for the first time in the series, Anze Kopitar and Dwight King scored back-to-back goals to stun the Coyotes in Arizona. They are now one win away from a chance at Lord Stanley.
     "Everybody is answering the challenge and being better," said King, who has outscored the Coyotes all by himself in the series. "We're playing good, playing consistent. With the way we're going, we're tough to beat right now."
    As for the East, the Devils had a better game than the Rangers, but Henrik Lundqvist completely ruined any chance of them winning it.  He had 36 saves in the game, making it three shutouts in the postseason and two this series.      
    "I was a little lucky today, a couple times where I made the first move I still ended up making the save," he said. "That's not going to happen all the time. So you need some luck sometimes. I always say you earn your luck by working hard.
    Dan Girardi, Chris Kreider and Ryan Callahan all scored in the third period to give the Rangers the win.
    The Kings now seem to be the only team in LA that can bring a trophy to the Staples Center, but the Coyotes are sure to put up a fight.  The Rangers now need to prove if they're worth being the number one seed in the East.