Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 3
When: 9:00 PM ET, Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Where: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Referees:
Brad Watson, Kevin Pollock
Linesmen:
Jay Sharrers, Shane Heyer
Attendance:
17148
By SportsDirect Inc.
KINGS 4, COYOTES 3 (OT): Dustin Penner scored 17:42 into overtime as Los Angeles edged host Phoenix in Game 5 to advance to the Stanley Cup finals.
Stationed in the middle of the slot, Penner banged home a rebound of a Jeff Carter shot to send shockwaves through the capacity crowd at the Jobing.com Arena. The win keeps the Kings perfect on the road in the postseason while moving them into the championship series for the first time since 1993.
Fans and Coyotes players were livid after the goal, which came moments after Kings captain Dustin Brown connected on a knee-on-knee hit with Coyotes forward Michal Roszival. Rozival was helped off the ice, and irate Phoenix captain Shane Doan had terse words for Brown in the postgame handshake line.
The Coyotes opened the extra session by killing off a Derek Morris penalty incurred late in the third period for shooting the puck over the glass. Phoenix was then rewarded with the best chance of the period, but Kings defenseman Drew Doughty flailed his stick while flat on the ice to break up the Coyotes' odd-man rush.
Doughty wore the goat horns shortly after, taking an interference penalty that left him chasing the referee around as he banged his stick against the ice. But the Coyotes couldn't do much on the ensuing man advantage, mustering just one shot.
That set the stage for Penner's heroics, which game on the Kings' 51st shot of the game. Jonathan Quick preserved the victory with a 38-save performance as the Kings wait for the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils.
That series is tied at two games apiece with Game 5 set for Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Phoenix opened the scoring on a power play just 4:20 into the game, as Martin Hanzal fired a shot from between the circles that caromed off Taylor Pyatt and past Quick.
Another Los Angeles penalty yielded the tying goal at 11:13. Doughty unleashed a shot from the left point that Anze Kopitar deflected between Smith's legs, giving the Kings their fifth shorthanded goal of the postseason.
The second period saw both teams skating at a breakneck pace - and combining for four goals as a result.
After Phoenix's Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Doughty traded goals nearly five minutes apart, Mike Richards gave the Kings their first lead at 13:43 by banging home a rebound of a Penner shot past a sprawling Smith.
Phoenix struck back just 2:40 after that, as Pyatt's centering pass skipped into the air and hit Keith Yandle in the leg before bouncing into the net.
The teams tightened the reins in the third period. Phoenix had the best chance to take charge with what began as a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage early in the period, but couldn't beat Quick and saw its two-man edge snuffed out after a minute thanks to a Hanzal interference penalty.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Kings have yet to allow more than three goals in any postseason game. ... The contest marked the first playoff game to feature seven or more goals since May 3, when the New Jersey Devils earned a 4-3 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference second-round series. ... The Kings are a perfect 2-0 in overtime games this postseason while the Coyotes fell to 4-3. ... Pyatt's two-point night halted a seven-game scoring drought. ... The Kings ousted the top three seeds in the West (Vancouver, St. Louis, Phoenix) to reach the finals, the first time that has happened in league history. ... The Stanley Cup finals kick off May 30 in the home arena of the Eastern Conference champions.
Top Game Performances
Los Angeles |
|
Phoenix |
Drew Doughty 2 |
Points |
Taylor Pyatt 2 |
Drew Doughty 1 |
Goals |
Taylor Pyatt 1 |
Jeff Carter 2 |
Assists |
Taylor Pyatt 1 |
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
Taylor Pyatt 1 |
Anze Kopitar 1 |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
Jonathan Quick .927 |
Save Percentage |
Mike Smith .922 |
Jonathan Quick 38 |
Saves |
Mike Smith 47 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
Los Angeles
|
51 |
4 |
0-4 |
5-6 |
12 |
49 |
Phoenix
|
41 |
3 |
1-6 |
4-4 |
28 |
51 |