National Hockey League Playoff Game Capsules

Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Justin Williams beat John Gibson 4:30 into the game and the Los Angeles Kings scored three goals in the first 16 minutes Friday night to jump-start a 6-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 of their second-round Western Conference series. The Kings won the last two games to improve to 6-0 in elimination games during these playoffs. They advanced to the conference finals for the third year in a row and will face the Blackhawks in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon in Chicago. Williams, an old pro on hockey’s brightest stage, scored his sixth goal in six career Game 7s and the Kings didn’t let up on the 20-year-old Gibson, knocking him out of the game on Anze Kopitar’s goal 2:02 into the second period, which made it 4-0. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards also scored in the first 15:12 of the game as the Kings, stacked with Game 7 veterans, showed off their knack for coming through with their backs against the wall. Marian Gaborik’s power-play goal against Jonas Hiller made it 5-0 with 5:51 left in the second period — plenty of room for the Kings and Jonathan Quick, who poke-checked Corey Perry on a penalty shot in the first period and made 25 saves. The Kings, who captured the Stanley Cup in 2012 in the first year of their now annual run to the conference finals, are 8-2 in elimination games dating back to 2011. The first playoff series between the two Southern California hockey teams also marked what could be the last games for Ducks forward Teemu Selanne, who has said he will retire after 21 NHL seasons. The 43-year-old future Hall-of-Famer received a lengthy standing ovation from the Honda Center crowd after the game and the Kings stopped their celebration to tap their sticks on the ice.

Categorized in: NHL