NHL: New Jersey Devils hang on to Stanley Cup lifeline after win over Kings

New Jersey record 2-1 win over Los Angeles to keep alive hopes of leveling series.

Bryce Salvador, Andy Greene and Martin Brodeur celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Kings

NEWARK // Zach Parise scored a power-play goal and Bryce Salvador added another on a lucky bounce as New Jersey Devils staved off Stanley Cup Finals elimination.

New Jersey spoiled the Los Angeles Kings' second attempt to clinch the National Hockey League title with a 2-1 victory, after losing the first three games.

The Devils now trail in the series 3-2 and can level it with a win in game six on Monday in Los Angeles.

"It is nice to contribute," Parise said. "I thought we played well and fortunately something went in tonight.

"The bottom line is we won the game and now we go back to Los Angeles."

Goaltender Martin Brodeur stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Devils, who also snapped the Kings' playoff road win streak at 10 games. New Jersey still has a mountain to climb to earn their fourth Stanley Cup.

While the Devils looked slow and flatfooted in the first three games, they were the harder-working and speedier team for the first time in the series, winning battles for loose pucks along the boards and in front of the goal.

The Kings hit several goalposts in game five but ultimately Brodeur's experience won out over Quick's youthful exuberance.

"He won the game for us," Parise said of Brodeur. "When we weren't playing well he bailed us out so many times."

Quick had seemed unbeatable for long stretches of the 2012 playoffs but he looked vulnerable from the outset of game five.

Devils' forward Travis Zajac almost scored on a strange play halfway through the first period as he squeezed a shot through the legs of Quick.

The puck came out behind Quick spinning backwards away from the goal line and was finally cleared out of harm by a Kings defenceman.

Devils captain Parise opened the scoring not long after on a blunder by Quick. Parise scored 12:45 into the first when Quick mishandled the puck at the side of his net.Quick came out of his crease and tried to clear it around the boards but fanned on the shot and it was picked up on the other side of the net by Parise, who put it into the empty cage.

The Devils needed a strong game and got it Saturday from captain Parise, who had been missing in action through the first four games. It was Parise's first point of the final series.

Salvador scored 9:05 into the second period for New Jersey. His long shot from the point deflected off the back of Kings' defenseman Slava Voynov and off the far post into the net to make it 2-1.

Justin Williams scored the lone Kings goal.

Only three teams have clambered out of a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series in NHL history.

Only one team has ever done it in the Stanley Cup Final. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for four straight wins to defeat the Detroit Red Wings.

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