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Penguins 3, Habs 2: Fleury Helps Pens Take 3-2 Series Lead
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 shots to help the Pittsburgh Penguins take a 2-1 win and the series lead in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against Montreal.
Fleury came just 29.7 seconds away from the shutout as Montreal made it a one- goal game on the power play when the puck trickled between the pads of Fleury with action in front. Michael Cammalleri was credited with the goal.
The Habs kept Jaroslav Halak out of the net for the rest of the game, but were unable to net the equalizer as Fleury came up with a pad save on a left point shot to hold on for the win.
Sergei Gonchar had a goal and an assist while Kris Letang scored the other goal for the Penguins, who will look to win the series in Game 6 on Monday in Montreal and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for a third straight year.
Halak made 23 saves for the Canadiens, who will have to win the next two games if they want to advance to the conference finals for the first time since the 1992-93 season, which was the last time the team won the Stanley Cup.
Pittsburgh nearly struck first thanks to a Halak mistake about three minutes in as the goaltender turned the puck over behind his net and it was thrown out front. However, he had time to recover and stopped Craig Adams’ shot.
Skating on the power play late in the first, the Pens took the lead. With the puck in the Montreal end, Evgeni Malkin cruised through the middle of the ice with the puck and left a backhand pass for Letang, who one-timed it into the net from the left point with 1:42 left in the frame.
The Pittsburgh defense limited Montreal to just six shots in the first period, all of which Fleury turned aside.
Montreal started the second period on the power play thanks to a penalty from Chris Kunitz at the end of the first. The team nearly tied the game as Tomas Plekanec whacked at the puck from the right side, but Fleury used the left pad to keep it out.
Halak came up with a huge save on Malkin as he turned aside a wrister from the Russian on a 2-on-1 break with Sidney Crosby a little over six minutes into the second.
However, the Pens did take a 2-0 lead a few minutes later thanks to Gonchar. At the left point, Brooks Orpik sent a pass over to the right where Gonchar one-timed it through traffic and into the left corner halfway through the second.
Fleury faced 12 shots in the second period, but he turned all those aside to keep Montreal off the board.
Halak kept it a two-goal game when he made a glove save on Mark Letestu, who was all alone in front of the net about 2 1/2 minutes into the third.
Skating on an abbreviated power play late in the first half of the third, Montreal had a couple of chances, including a one-timer from Marc-Andre Bergeron at the right point, but Fleury stood tall to keep the shutout going.
Pittsburgh forward Bill Guerin returned to play after missing the previous two games with an undisclosed injury...The Pens improved to 3-3 as the host this postseason while Montreal fell to 4-3 as the guests...The Habs and Pens have met just once before in the playoffs and that was back in the opening round of the 1998 postseason when Montreal notched a six-game series victory...Both teams went 1-for-3 on the power play.
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