2014: A Year Of Infamy For The Los Angeles Kings

8 – Stanley comes back home and the legend of the “Jazz Hands” is born

On June 13, 2014, defenseman and Western Conference game 7 hero Alec Martinez scored in double overtime during game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final and forever became affectionately known from the LA Kings faithful as the legendary “Jazz Hands” (oh and also as a Stanley Cup winning hero!).  After Martinez scored the Cup winning goal against the New York Rangers, after a long and exhausting 2 months of playoff hockey, no Kings teammate was able to jump into his arms immediately and celebrate the historic moment with him (teammates Tyler Toffoli had fallen after producing the original shot while Kyle Clifford was tied up by a Rangers defenseman.) In what was only for a few seconds, but must have felt like an eternity to him, Martinez did what no other championship winning hero had ever done before, he celebrated by himself by shaking his hands in melodic fashion until his teammates were finally able to join him.  The legend of Jazz hands was born.

For the second time in 3 seasons and the second time in franchise history, the Los Angeles Kings were the Stanley Cup champions and accomplished it once again at home at the Staples Center but this time by going through the hardest, most demanding and dangerous (along with odd defying) route ever taken by any hockey team in the 114 year history of Lord Stanley’s Cup.  The final series may have only played out in 5 games but was just as entertaining, thrilling and nerve wrecking as the 3 previous series after game one went to overtime and games 2 and 5 went to double overtime. The dominance came from the following game changers: the reliable and consistent play of Anze Kopitar, the timely goals by Marian Gaborik, the anti-gravity like saves by Jonathan Quick,  the leadership and wreaking ball chaos of Captain Dustin Brown, the razzle and dazzle of Drew Doughty, the game 7 and playoff heroics of eventual Conn Smythe trophy winner Justin Williams, the energetic barrage of attacks from Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, the “Jazz Hands” of Alec Martinez or the play with words and sparring sessions with the media by Daryl Sutter. The Kings always found a way to win!!  This was a team that perfectly defined every possible definition of the word “team” and made 2014 a season like no other in LA Kings history (including the amazing 2012, where the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time).
Thank you 2014 for the wonderful and forever lasting memories and good luck 2015,  for you have some big shoes to fill.

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