Rangers 2, Kings 1: Henrik Lundqvist made 40 saves and Martin St. Louis scored his team-leading eighth goal as host New York staved off elimination by winning Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final.

Benoit Pouliot joined St. Louis by netting his second tally of the series as the Rangers posted their NHL-record eighth consecutive home victory when facing elimination. Derek Stepan notched an assist and preserved the slim advantage with 1:11 remaining in the third period by tapping a loose puck from along the goal line toward Lundqvist's pads.

Captain Dustin Brown scored on a breakaway for the Kings, who were unable to net the equalizer despite outshooting New York by a 15-1 margin in the third period. Jonathan Quick turned aside 17 shots for Los Angeles, which looks to capture its second Stanley Cup in three years when the teams reconvene at Staples Center for Game 5 on Friday.

Defenseman John Moore unleashed a shot from the point that Pouliot deftly deflected under the crossbar 7:25 into the first period to open the scoring. The tally came just two seconds after the Rangers' first power play expired and was the first allowed by Quick in 123 minutes, 1 second.

New York doubled the advantage 6:27 into the second as Chris Kreider's shot from above the left faceoff circle caromed off Stepan in front before St. Louis chipped the puck home from the left doorstep. Brown answered 2:19 later, but Lundqvist thwarted Jeff Carter on a breakaway late in the session before holding the fort in the third.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Los Angeles nearly forged a 1-1 tie with 8:10 remaining in the first period, but Carter was unable to tap home a loose puck as it rested along the goal line. New York D Anton Stralman alertly swatted it out of harm's way. ... The Kings won 20-of-24 faceoffs in the first period and finished the game with a 41-24 advantage. ... New York agitator Daniel Carcillo was a healthy scratch despite being eligible to return after serving his six-game suspension for physically abusing an official during the Eastern Conference final. ... Former Rangers captain Mark Messier, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin, newly hired New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher, tennis legend John McEnroe, director/producer Spike Lee and actors Robert De Niro, Michael J. Fox and David Duchovny were in attendance at Madison Square Garden.