The Kings opened their first Stanley Cup finals in 19 years with two tense overtime victories in New Jersey, surviving largely on the brilliance of Quick. Los Angeles then returned home and routed the Devils 4-0 in Game 3 on Monday night, setting the stage for a celebration.

But the Devils got into the details, and the Kings must regroup.

"We couldn't score," Kopitar said. "We had a couple of chances, and we didn't bear down. We didn't get a couple of bounces in, and you have to create your own bounces. They played with a little more desperation than we did, and we have to correct that in Game 5."

No surprise given the tremendous stakes, both teams were nervous and jumpy from the opening faceoff in Game 4. Quick got plenty of work early when the Devils got two power plays in the opening minutes, while Slava Voynov and Kopitar hit Brodeur's posts for the Kings in the scoreless first period.

Both teams appeared to be as tense as the crowd in the second, with Brodeur making a stellar pad save on Simon Gagne's breakaway chance late.

The NHL unpacked the Stanley Cup deep inside Staples Center before the third period, but it never saw the ice.

Gagne and Trevor Lewis got a breakaway chance early in the third, but Brodeur sprawled on his back to stop Lewis. Brodeur mishandled the puck moments later and nearly gave it right to Brown, but the deflection off Brown's right skate barely missed the net.

Elias finally slipped in on Quick and slapped home a rebound of Bryce Salvador's shot, putting a pall on the crowd and ending Quick's scoreless streak at 138 minutes, 39 seconds.

The gloom didn't last long: Doughty teed up the latest in his long line of booming shots, and Brodeur was at least partly screened by Anton Volchenkov in front.

Notes: The Kings set a franchise attendance record for the second straight game, packing 18,867 into Staples Center. ... The Devils changed their lineup for Game 4, inserting Sykora into his sixth Stanley Cup finals along with D Henrik Tallinder, who had been out since January with a blood clot. Sykora, a healthy scratch since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, replaced Jacob Josefson, while Tallinder took the spot of former Kings D Peter Harrold. Sykora played more than 12 minutes, and Tallinder logged nearly 20 minutes. ... Gagne played his second straight game after returning to the lineup for Game 3. He had been out since Dec. 26 with a concussion. ... Staples Center was occupied by an LMFAO show on Tuesday night, and Van Halen will play before the teams return for a potential Game 6, although Kings coach Darryl Sutter says the ice is holding up well. ... Will Ferrell, Matthew Perry and Alyssa Milano attended the game.

More news

Justin K. Aller / Getty Images

Pens send Sens packing

PHT: Powered by a James Neal hat trick, Pittsburgh dominated Ottawa 6-2 in Game 5 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

NBC Sports

Highlights: Penguins crush Senators to move on

  The Pittsburgh Penguins squashed any concept of an upset by a massive underdog in the Ottawa Senators. James Neal led the way for the Pens with a hat trick as Pittsburgh now moves on to the Eastern Conference finals after a 6-2 victory in Game 5.

Headlines

• Label

PHT: Tortorella defends sitting Richards  |  Watch

PHT: Maloney signs long-term deal as Coyotes GM

Blackhawks find their backs to the wall

CSN: Struggling 'Hawks on brink of elimination

PHT: Wings push Hawks to brink  |  Highlights

PHT: Toews' frustrations boil over in Game 4 loss

PHT: Crawford confident Chicago can come back

PHT: Kings defend home ice, up 3-2  |  Highlights