Oilers' Kostin was actually looking to pass to Draisaitl on his game-winning goal

Edmonton Oilers forward Klim Kostin joined a long line of playoff heroes in the City of Champions on Wednesday night.

Midway through the third period, Kostin broke through the Los Angeles Kings’ defensive zone, looked off a couple of defenders, and shot the puck into the opposing net past a hapless Joonas Korpisalo to give the Oilers a 3-2 lead.

It was the first playoff goal of Kostin’s career, and one he’ll undoubtedly never forget.

Klim Kostin’s first playoff goal gives Edmonton the edge! 💪

Watch the third period of Oilers vs. Kings now on Sportsnet. pic.twitter.com/cYzWmDgqYV

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 20, 2023

But he was actually looking to pass.

In the team’s post-game press conference following the Oilers’ eventual 4-2 win, Kostin revealed that he had his eyes looking out for teammate Leon Draisaitl.

“First of all, I was looking for Leo actually, I was trying to get the puck in his hands. I trust him more than myself. But I just saw like three guys around me, I just had nothing to do, I just shot the puck and it went in,” Kostin told reporters.

"It’s really special to play here."

Klim Kostin & Leon Draisaitl share their thoughts on the night. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/ZR8cwfENO9

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 20, 2023

It’s a nice bit of humility for Kostin, but it’s also not a bad strategy, as Draisaitl finished this past regular season with 52 goals compared to 11 for himself.

“I think we took advantage of a couple situations,” Draisaitl said of his line with Kostin and Derek Ryan, who opened the scoring in last night’s game. “We clicked and connected on a couple goals, some really good plays by those two. It was fun.”

Game 3 for the Oilers and Kings is on Friday night in Los Angeles, where puck drop is set for 8 pm MT.

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