It took nearly two decades, but the Los Angeles Kings are heading back to the Stanley Cup Finals after defeating the Phoenix Coyotes in overtime, 4-3. The Kings took the series in five games and are one of those rare No. 8 seeds to play for Lord Stanley's Cup.
At 17:42 in the overtime period, Dustin Penner scored the game winner just moments after the Coyotes' Michal Rozsival had to leave the game due to a hit from Dustin Brown (see the .GIF here):
Penner was in the right place at the right time. After his teammates failed to do anything on the initial shot and rebound, Penner was right in front of the net to pick up the secondary rebound and fire off a wrist shot that goalie Mike Smith was unable to stop.
The Coyotes and Kings each scored goals in the first period before playing a lively second period that saw four combined goals. However, neither team could break the ensuing 3-3 tie in the third period. The goaltending was strong with 92 combined shots made on the netminders. Smith made 47 saves on 51 shots while Jonathan Quick stopped 38 of 41 shots.
The Kings await either the New York Rangers or the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals.
For all news and information regarding the Phoenix Coyotes, please visit Five for Howling or stop by SB Nation Arizona. For updates and perspective on the Los Angeles Kings, head on over to Jewels From The Crown and SB Nation Los Angeles.
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