Artturi Lehkonen’s decisive goal brought back some fresh memories on Monday, and for good reason, because the Finn achieved an extremely rare feat in the National Hockey League (NHL).
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As he did with the Montreal Canadiens on June 24, 2021, the forward propelled the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup Final with a goal scored in overtime in the final game of a third-round series. On Monday, he beat Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith early in overtime to provide a 6-5 victory for his team, who swept the Western Conference final.
Lehkonen became the second player in history to settle the semi-final debate with a game-winning goal in overtime two years in a row. The only other author of such a feat is winger Gordie Drillon in 1938 and 1939. The New Brunswicker led the Toronto Maple Leafs to the final round, at the expense of the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings respectively.
Drillon had also excelled on both courses, amassing seven goals each spring, but the Leafs had lost each time in the final.
Coming back to Lehkonen, he helped the Habs defeat the Vegas Golden Knights on National Day 2021 with a goal against Robin Lehner, in a 3-2 triumph in Game 6 of the semifinals.
