Edmonton Oilers' Kailer Yamamoto's goal with three minutes remaining in the game helped the team eliminate the Los Angeles Kings in Game 6 at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Oilers won the series 4-2 and will play the Vegas Golden Knights, who finished the regular season atop the Pacific Division in Round 2 of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Oilers and the LA Kings games were filled with some intense and thrilling moments throughout the series. In a total of six games played between the two teams, three games went into overtime. Nevertheless, it was the Oilers who came out on top and eliminated the Kings in the first round.
The Edmonton Oilers are proving to the world why they are among the heavy favorites to lift the coveted Cup this time. With a series-clinching win on Saturday, Oilers fans were ecstatic about their team's incredible run of performances throughout the series.
Here are some of the top reactions from Oilers fans:
Edmonton Oilers eliminate LA Kings to book their berth for Round 2
The Edmonton Oilers entered Game 6 with a sharper and more confident-looking team on the ice. Captain Connor McDavid opened the scoring sheet for the team with a tip-in goal at the 1:25 mark of the first period.
Sean Durzi put the LA Kings back into the game and tied the game at 1-1 after he slotted the puck back into the net with a snap shot at the 8:13 mark. Klim Kostin put the Oilers 2-1 up before the game moved into the second period.
The second period of Game 6 between the two teams featured one of the best periods in the series. Leon Draisaitl, the leading goal scorer for the Oilers in the playoffs, extended the team's lead to 3-1 at the 4:06 mark.
The Los Angeles Kings made a comeback, with Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala's two goals coming within less than five minutes, helping the team tie the game at 3-3. Klim Kostin's second goal of the night further extended the Oilers' lead to 4-3 before the game moved into the third period.
Phillip Danault's goal at the 7:46 mark of the third period tied the game at 4-4 for the LA Kings. Everyone present at the arena started to believe that the series would feature another OT thriller, however, Kailer Yamamoto's snap shot at the 16:57 mark helped the Edmonton Oilers eliminate the Los Angeles Kings from the first round.