When the hardwalking staff embarked upon its post-prandial promenade last night, the Los Angeles Kings (up 3-1 in the series) had just come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of their Western Conference Final hoedown.

When we returned, the Kings were up 4-3.

Then, early in the third period, Ben Smith potted the tying goal.

The first overtime was a total fire drill, at one point going 7:56 without a whistle. Over all, there were just nine stoppages of play in the first sudden-death shakedown, three of them in the final minute.

Two minutes into the second overtime, Michal Handzus happened.

Let the wild Game 6 rumpus begin!

Just one more reason the Stanley Cup is, as NBC keeps reminding us, the Greatest Trophy in Sports.