BOX SCORE
PITTSBURGH -- So how do you feel about this series now? Still think the Flyers got it?
Are those orange t-shirts starting to feel a little snug around the neck all of a sudden?
If they do, youre not alone, because chances are, the Flyers are feeling it as well after Friday nights 3-2 Game 5 loss that has completely shifted the momentum of this series toward the Penguins.
The Flyers are down to the slimmest of series leads now, 3-2 with Game 6 slated for Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.
Normalcy finally made an appearance in this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Both teams played some defense. Both goalies made some stops. The penalties were way down. So were the goals against.
The winning difference was Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. He did what Ilya Bryzgalov could not. He stole a game for his team. And he sparkled in the third period with Pittsburgh clutching a one-goal lead and the Flyers on their fifth power play.
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The turning point came at 7:37.
They say your goalie has to be your best penalty killer and Fleury was with four incredible saves, starting with a stop on Jakub Voracek, another on Claude Giroux, one on Jaromir Jagr and then two more on his knees on Danny Briere from in tight.
The Flyers were without stalwart defenseman Nicklas Grossmann (concussion), a huge loss given the state of their banged-up defense right now.
For the fifth time in as many games, special teams were pivotal and, once again, the officiating was very tight with veteran referees Paul Devorski and Dan ORouke.
All three goals in the first period were off special teams.
The Flyers came into the game wicked hot on the power play -- 9 for 15 -- and scored twice in the opening period to make it 11 for 17 while giving themselves a 2-1 lead at intermission.
Coming in, the team that scored first had ended up losing every game, so you had to wonder if it was advantageous that Matt Carles first goal of the series gave them a 1-0 lead at 11:45.
Pittsburgh got a quick power play right after and the Flyers generated a shorthanded chance, with Fleury making a big stop on Matt Read off a rush with Sean Couturier.
It was important, too, because the Pens tied it moments later on Steve Sullivans one-timer from the left slot during that same power play.
Evgeni Malkins unnecessarily tossed Brayden Schenn to the ice and Craig Adams slashed Jaromir Jagr in the periods closing minutes giving the Flyers a juicy 5-on-3 for 18 seconds which they easily converted.
Scott Hartnell took a crisp pass from Danny Briere in the crease and finally got his first goal of the series.
Kicker is, the Flyers could have had more that period. Braydon Coburn hit a crossbar and Giroux nailed the left post.
Pittsburgh came roaring back with two goals in the middle period to regain the lead, 3-2, while controlling the pace and dictating the play nearly the entire period.
Jordan Staal scored his sixth goal on a shot from the right circle at 6:15 that began with yet another incredible stretch pass from Kris Letang off the boards.
Then Tyler Kennedy beat Bryzgalov through a double Flyer screen of Wayne Simmonds and Pavel Kubina that had the arena rocking with noise like we havent heard in this series.
To that point, the Flyers had held Pittsburgh to just 15 shots. Alas, they only had 12 themselves.
...more coming...
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net.