Artturi Lehkonen helped the Colorado Avalanche secure a series sweep over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, scoring in overtime for a 6-5 win.
Lehkonen ultimately secured the 4-0 Western Conference finals win for the Avalanche in fortunate circumstances, left with a simple finish after his elevated stick helped the puck elude Oilers goaltender Mike Smith.
With a tightly contested game heading to OT, Cale Makar's shot from the face-off was picked up by Lehkonen with what was argued to be a high stick. The puck deflected off Smith and left the 26-year-old with a simple finish to win the game and series and following a review, the goal was allowed.
Despite the fortune that came with the eventual winning goal, the Finnish winger cited his team's ability to fight back a 3-1 deficit in the third period as equally important.
"Cale took the shot and I've got to say, it landed straight on my blade and I basically had an empty net in front of me," Lehkonen told TNT post-game.
"It was a great comeback win, for sure. We were talking during the second intermission that we just had to find our game and we could pull through this."
Mikko Rantanen stunningly put the Avalanche ahead with 5:14 remaining in regulation, in what was a four-goal period for the Western Conference's first seed.
After the Oilers let a 3-1 lead slip with their season on the line, Leon Draisatl and Connor McDavid combined to equalise, capitalising on Danell Nurse's defensive play to spring them into transition.
Advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2001, the Avalanche will now face the winner of the series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers.
Dellandrea powers Stars past Golden Knights in Game 5
Ty Dellandrea picked the perfect time for his first career multigoal game, scoring two quick goals in the third period to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Western Conference final.
Luke Glendening and Jason Robertson had the other goals as the Stars escaped elimination again and trimmed the series deficit to 3-2.
Game 6 is in Dallas on Monday and Stars captain Jamie Benn will return after he served a two-game suspension for cross-checking Vegas skipper Mark Stone in Game 3.
The Stars are attempting to become the fifth team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 series deficit. Current Knights defenseman Alec Martinez was a member of the last team to accomplish that – the 2014 Los Angeles Kings.
Stars' game-winner Dellandrea, who had just one point in his first 13 games this postseason, snapped a 2-2 tie at 10:35 of the third period when he ripped a shot under Adin Hill's arm from the right circle.
Dellandrea put a loose puck past Hill from the slot 87 seconds later to extend the lead.
Jake Oettinger was solid with 27 saves and has stopped 64 of 68 shots since he was pulled early in a Game 3 loss.
Ivan Barbashev and Chandler Stephenson scored for Vegas.
Stars avoid sweep after Pavelski's OT goal
Joe Pavelski rifled home a power-play goal at 3:18 of overtime and the Dallas Stars avoided a sweep with a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday in the Western Conference finals.
Jason Robertson notched his first career multigoal playoff game for Dallas and Jake Oettinger rebounded with 37 saves, two nights after he lasted just over seven minutes in a Game 3 loss.
Vegas' Brayden McNabb was called for a high-sticking penalty 2:28 into overtime, and Pavelski needed just 50 seconds to end it. He took a feed from Miro Heiskanen in the left circle and drilled a one-timer inside the far post and past Adin Hill.
The goal was the ninth in 12 games this postseason for Pavelski, whose 73 career playoff goals are the most among active players.
Dallas played without captain Jamie Benn after he was suspended for two games by the NHL for his cross-check near the neck of Vegas skipper Mark Stone early in Tuesday's Game 3.
Benn will also miss Game 5 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights missed an opportunity to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers.
William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Knights and Hill had his five-game winning streak snapped despite making 39 saves.
Tkachuk's late goal sends Panthers to Stanley Cup Final
Matthew Tkachuk delivered in the clutch yet again, scoring his second goal of the game on a power-play with 4.9 seconds left in regulation to complete the sweep and send the Florida Panthers into the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Florida will play for hockey's ultimate prize for just the second time in franchise history, after they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.
The eighth-seeded Panthers will face either Vegas or Dallas, with the Golden Knights holding a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference final.
Jesper Fast scored the tying goal with 3:22 to go in the third period and the teams appeared headed for overtime for the third time in this series, but Jordan Staal took a tripping penalty with 57 seconds remaining to set up Tkachuk's latest heroics.
Tkachuk's goal was his eighth of the postseason and fourth of this series – including two in overtime.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves in his fifth straight victory – all one-goal decisions. He stopped 168 of 174 shots in this series for a .966 save percentage.
Carolina played most of the game without defenseman Jaccob Slavin after he absorbed a hard hit from Sam Bennett, who was not penalised on the play.
Slavin wobbled as he got to his feet and needed assistance to leave the ice.
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