'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
PHOENIX, Arizona (AFP) –
Mike Richards of the Los Angeles Kings celebrates as Dustin Penner (front,25) scores an overtime goal against the Phoenix Coyotes as the Kings advance to the Stanley Cup Finals with their 4-3 victory in Game Five of the Western Conference Final during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Jobing.com Arena May 22, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Trending
The Los Angeles Kings continued their road to success in the 2012 NHL postseason, punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup finals by eliminating the Phoenix Coyotes in five games.
Dustin Penner scored the game winner with 2:18 left in overtime as the Kings defeated the Coyotes 4-3 to earn their first trip to the league championship series in 19 years.
And the Kings did it the hard way, clinching on the road in the Western Conference finals to stretch their winning streak away from home in the 2012 playoffs to eight matches.
“Four more wins that is all we are thinking,” said Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. “Hats off to Phoenix they had a great season. We are looking forward to seeing who we are going to play for the cup.”
Los Angeles secured the franchise’s first Stanley Cup finals appearance since Wayne Gretzky led the Kings to the championship series in 1993. Los Angeles lost in five games to Montreal in the Kings’ only other trip to the Cup finals.
They will next face the winner of the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers Eastern Conference championship series which is deadlocked at 2-2.
Penner scored the winner when he collected a rebound in front of the Phoenix goal and beat Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith high on the glove side. Penner helped start the play by tipping the puck into the Phoenix zone then getting it back in the slot.
“I got a lucky bounce to get the puck past (Keith) Yandle,” Penner said. “I just waited for it to settle down enough to get a shot on net.”
Along the way, Los Angeles eliminated the Western Conference’s top three seeds: No. 1 Vancouver Canucks in five games, No. 2 St. Louis Blues in the second round and now third-seeded Phoenix.
The Kings join the 2006 Edmonton Oilers as the only number eight seeds to advance to the Cup finals.
