The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in Game 5, forcing a Game 6 in the series. Strong defensive play, particularly in the third period, was key to the Penguins' victory.
Well, folks, we officially have ourselves a series.
The Pittsburgh Penguins made the trip back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Monday after a gutsy Game 4 win that finally put a dent into that 3-0 series lead for the Philadelphia Flyers. Like Game 4, it was do-or-die, as they had to come away with the "W" in order to survive.
And after Monday's game, that small dent has become quite a bit larger.
The Penguins put on a defensive clinic in the third period to best the Flyers, 3-2, and force Game 6 in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Goaltender Arturs Silovs - despite allowing a goal he'd probably want back - was strong yet again, stopping 18 of 20 Flyers' shots on goal and, for the most part, coming up big when he had to.
It is also the second-straight game where the Penguins have locked down defensively in the third period, and head coach Dan Muse gives credit to the Penguins' ability to largely maintain possession of the puck, even late in both games with the empty net.
"I think you us giving up less there in both of the third periods, which I think it's a credit to the group," Muse said. "Just being able to make sure in the tight games, I think it's important, too - and I thought for the most part, we did a good job - but we still want to make plays. You don't want to just be throwing pucks away. The more you can be in the offensive zone and have possession, that's always the best defense.
"Overall, the guys did a really good job at the end of the games that we've won."
The Penguins opened up the scoring pretty early in this one despite the Flyers getting some early opportunities. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon dumped the puck into the zone, and Anthony Mantha won the footrace to it behind the net as well as the battle for the puck. He quickly and decisively found Elmer Soderblom breaking into the slot, and Soderblom put home the Penguins' first shot of the game to give them a 1-0 lead.
Pittsburgh controlled most of the first period, and that continued in the early stages of the second, when the team's third line had a good shift where they maintained possession of the puck. That continued with the fourth line, and toward the end of their shift, fed - fresh off the bench - and he found breaking down the left side.
Q&A
What was the score of Game 5 between the Penguins and Flyers?
The Penguins won Game 5 against the Flyers with a score of 3-2.
Who was the goaltender for the Penguins in Game 5?
Arturs Silovs was the goaltender for the Penguins in Game 5.
What did the Penguins need to do to stay in the series?
The Penguins needed to win Game 5 to avoid elimination and stay in the series.
When is Game 6 of the Penguins vs Flyers series scheduled?
Game 6 of the Penguins vs Flyers series is scheduled for Wednesday.
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Dewar fired a top-shelf snipe to the upper-left corner of the net, hitting the back bar and coming out just as fast as it went in. The Penguins realized they scored right away - even if the officials didn't - and after a short gathering, they confirmed the goal, which put the Penguins up, 2-0, just over three minutes into the second period.
However, things got a bit dicey when the Flyers responded just 12 seconds later. Alex Bump - taking the place of young Flyers' forward Matvei Michkov in the lineup - broke down the right side and gained positional advantage, and he put a puck on net that somehow found its way through Silovs's five-hole and into the net to cut into the Penguins' lead.
From there, much of the middle frame was played in the neutral zone, with each team not giving the other a ton of space. Later in the period, Sidney Crosby absorbed a heavy blast from teammate Ryan Shea - he later confirmed he was okay - and briefly went down the runway.
Right upon his return to the bench, Travis Sanheim shot a puck from the left side that went through traffic and deflected off the stick of Erik Karlsson, going behind Silovs and tying the game at 2-2.
But the Penguins responded with a goal of their own this time - and they got their lucky bounce as well.
A little more than two minutes later, the Penguins' first line was cycling in the offensive zone, and defenseman Kris Letang floated a puck toward the goal that hit off the stancheon and bounced back toward Vladar. Vladar backed himself onto the goal line - not knowing where it was - and accidentally slid the puck past the goal line to give the Penguins back the 3-2 lead late in the second.
Then, in the third period, the Penguins simply didn't allow much at all. Even though they only registered four shots themselves in the final frame, they limited the Flyers to six and largely kept them to the perimeter. Again, the Penguins were especially good in the final few minutes, making it difficult for the Flyers to pull Vladar in the first place and not giving them much at all once he was finally pulled.
This win was a huge testament to the resiliency of this group, which is something that has been on display all season long.
"That's something we've prided ourselves on all year," Crosby said. "Throughout the season, we have been in different situations, and I think that we've done a great job at handling adversity. Again, here, we're faced with more. It doesn't get any easier, so we know it's a big challenge.
"I think we have a lot of belief in our group, and we've done it time and time again. So, we've got to do it again."
Game 6 between the Penguins and Flyers will be Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Philadelphia.
The fourth line did a whole lot of good things in this game. They were used quite a lot in the final frame, when the Penguins were tasked with shutting things down and holding their narrow lead. And they helped generate offensively, too.
But, boy, was the first line good on Monday, too.
Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust were a threat nearly every time they touched the ice. They gave up some chances against, too, but they were able to cycle in the offensive zone for the majority of the game, which is a pretty big deal.
87 looked much more himself in this game, and he was in vintage form. He finished with two primary assists on the evening and nearly scored an empty-netter on a diving attempt near center ice.
"When things get hard, when backs are against the wall, there is no doubt in my mind that he's going to lead the charge in terms of elevating, finding a way to do everything possible to help this team win a hockey game," Muse said of Crosby after the game.
Honestly, all four lines were big contributors for the Penguins Monday, as the third line of Soderblom, Ben Kindel, and Mantha were excellent as well. I'd still like to see more from the second line, but it's only a matter of time before Egor Chinakhov finds the back of the net in this series.
That said, the best players on the ice Monday were Letang and Sam Girard.
This pairing was driving the bus for the Penguins all night long. According to Moneypuck, they had a 64.4 percent expected goals share, which, honestly, seems kind of low. Letang, in particular, looked confident while carrying the puck and was able to make a few key defensive plays as well.
Girard's ability in transition led to several opportunities as well, and they both skated the puck out of trouble with relative ease.
Karlsson still has not found the next gear. Ilya Solovyov's shifts were limited, especially in the third period. And Wotherspoon has been a bit shaky at times in this series. But between those two and Shea - who saw some shifts with Karlsson during the third period in this one - the Penguins' blue line has been more than solid in the last two.
Once Karlsson elevates - and if Girard and Letang can maintain this level and keep generating - things should look pretty good on the backend for the Penguins.
It's already been said a few times over, but I'm so impressed with the Penguins' shutdown play in both third periods during these last two games.
Yes, they surrendered a third-period goal Saturday, but the response matters. They're not giving the Flyers any time and space. They've even deployed their own 1-1-3 in the neutral zone at times. They're giving the Flyers a taste of their own medicine from earlier on in the series, and even Flyers' coach Rick Tocchet is impressed with the Penguins' defensive effort.
"You've got to give them credit," Tocchet said. "They're defending really hard."
If the Penguins can get the first goal again and play this well defensively in Game 6 - and, perhaps, get their power play going - they could make things very, very interesting.
