Watch Dustin Penner Send LA Kings to 2012 Stanley Cup Final with OT Goal

Dustin Penner scored an overtime game-winning goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals to give the Los Angeles Kings a berth in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993, when the great Wayne Gretzky captained the franchise.

The Kings will travel to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Rangers or the Prudential Center to play the New Jersey Devils for Game 1 of the finals starting Wednesday, May 30. The Rangers and Devils series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 to be played on Wednesday night in New York.

Penner was a major disappointment all year for the Kings, but he has stepped up his game during the playoffs for Los Angeles.

This year's Kings team is built on the play of star goaltender Jonathan Quick, who has an amazing 8-0 record on the road this postseason.

Quick is the favorite for the Conn Smythe Award as playoff MVP heading into the finals, and even if the Kings don't win the championship, Quick will still be a worthy contender for the award.

The Kings have also gotten great contributions from their top forwards throughout the playoffs after their offense struggled to score on a consistent basis for much of the year.

If the Kings offense continues to provide Quick with a lot of offensive support, it will be tough for the Rangers or Devils to beat them.

After earning a few days off by finishing the Coyotes in five, the Kings will have time to heal and thoroughly scout their upcoming opponent.

With the Devils and Rangers beating each other up in the Eastern Conference finals, the Kings are certainly the favorites to lift Lord Stanley's Cup.

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Nicholas Goss is an NHL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was also the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Boston.