Kailer Yamamoto scored in the dying embers of Game 6 on Saturday night to oust the Los Angeles Kings and punch the Edmonton Oilers' ticket to Round 2.
The winning tally came with 3:03 left in regulation and was Yamamoto's first of the playoffs after entering the contest without a point in the series.
YAMAMOTO WITH THREE MINUTES LEFT! 🍠🍠🍠 pic.twitter.com/EwPGtBygo2
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 30, 2023
"I hadn’t had a great series, but it was big for me and even bigger for the boys," Yamamoto said, per TSN's Jason Gregor.
Edmonton's win sets up a second-round clash with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers finished two points behind the first-place Golden Knights in the regular season standings, and the highly anticipated matchup will be headlined by a head-to-head matchup between the top two picks of the 2015 draft: Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.
Saturday's affair was high-octane from the jump, as McDavid opened the scoring 1:25 in. The clubs scored two goals apiece in the second period, and the Oilers' 4-3 lead evaporated midway through the final frame after a critical blunder from goaltender Stuart Skinner gifted Phillip Danault the equalizer.
Aside from the unlucky mistake, Skinner's 40-save performance was a key factor in Edmonton's clincher.
"Just so impressive," McDavid said to TNT regarding his goalie. "To give up a goal like that - a bad bounce there - and then shut it down after, it's a credit to him and how mentally strong he is."
The Oilers have now eliminated the Kings in back-to-back years. Edmonton defeated Los Angeles in seven games last season, the first step of a playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Final.
