EDMONTON | It’s the second time in as many seasons that Artturi Lehkonen has played heroes in overtime in the final game of the Western Conference Finals.
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If last year the Finn had thwarted Robin Lehner of the Vegas Golden Knights with a sharp wrist shot on the side of the shield, this time he first ricocheted a shot from Cale Makar before s seize his own return.
“Cale took the shot. I managed to touch the puck. It ended up on the blade of my staff. I practically found myself in front of an empty net. So I pushed the puck in, ”described the hero of the meeting.
This evening of three points from Lehkonen allowed him to close this series of four games with a harvest of six (two goals, four assists). To make his acquisition, at the trade deadline, Joe Sakic had to sell young defender Justin Barron (a first-round pick in 2020) as well as a second-round pick in 2024. A good return on investment .
“It’s guys like him that teams make trades at the deadline. I would give ten first-round picks for a guy like Lehkonen right now,” Nathan MacKinnon said after the win.
Lehkonen couldn’t have sent the Avalanche to the Finals for the first time since 2001 without the goals scored by Gabriel Landeskog, MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen in the third period.
“It was definitely a great comeback. We were talking about it during the second intermission. We said to ourselves that it was enough to find our game and that we could get out of it,” said Lehkonen.
Speaking of returning, this is quite a turnaround for Lehkonen who, before moving to the Avalanche on March 21, lived through the long agony of the Canadiens.
“It was definitely a rollercoaster season. The chance to play for the Stanley Cup doesn’t come often. You should take advantage. This is an opportunity for us. It’s up to us to seize it, ”said Lehkonen who, with the Habs, lost in five games against the Lightning last year.
Disappointed Oilers
While the Avalanche celebrated in the visitors’ locker room, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid took part in a first assessment in the press room visible from the street.
As the Oilers captain stood at the podium, hundreds of fans gathered near the windows chanting, “MVP! MVP! MVP!”
Despite the disappointment and bitterness of this elimination, Oilers fans had not lost an ounce of love for their favorites.
This dose of love had nothing to cheer the duo up.
“We love playing in front of our fans, we love playing for them. Nevertheless, our goal is to win the Stanley Cup. If you fail in this quest, you are definitely disappointed,” Draisaitl said.
Moreover, the German did not want to make a fuss about the injury he has had since the series against the Kings.
“Several players are playing despite injury. I’m not going to make a story out of it about me,” he said.
