After a scoreless and frustrating first period in Game 5, the Pittsburgh Penguins blitzed the New York Islanders for three goals in a 6:35 span to take a 3-0 lead in the second period.
Islanders vs. Penguins Game 5 Update: Pittsburgh surges to 3-0 lead
Tyler Kennedy, Douglas Murray and Sidney Crosby scored in short order.
The Penguins juggled their lines a bit after being outshot 14-7 in the first period. They turned the tables and outshot the Isles 18-11 in the second. But their goals came off of two breakaways and a gift from Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
Scoring opened on a bad defensive change by the Islanders, with New York's top line losing possession in the Penguins' zone. Floating behind the Isles' defense, Tyler Kennedy's scream for the puck was audible all the way in the broadcast booth. Kris Letang hit Kennedy with a perfect stretch pass at the Islanders blueline, sending Kennedy in to beat Nabokov high on the glove side.
The Penguins doubled their lead just 1:22 later, this time on a pure gift from Nabokov. Douglas Murray lofted a shot that Nabokov stabbed at with his glove, only to have it bounce up and over him and across the line:
The scoreboard then got out of hand after a pivotal stretch just after the midpoint of the second period demonstrated the difference in the quality of goaltenders in this game.
First, Islanders franchise star John Tavares made a series of mesmerizing moves to deke through Paul Martin, but Tomas Vokoun made the save and kept the score 2-0.
Then Penguins franchise star Sidney Crosby had a few moves of his own, splitting Thomas Hickey and Lubomir Visnovsky to break in alone and beat Nabokov on the stick side.
Play settled down slightly after that surge, and the Islanders made a push to try to get one back before the intermission. But those efforts failed, and the Penguins entered the second intermission with a commanding lead.
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