NHL playoff scores 2016: Unstoppable Penguins looking beatable after missing opportunities in Game 5

The Lightning have done the impossible, or at least done something that hasn't been done against the Penguins in a long time.

Not only are the Lightning knocking on the door of a second straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, they've also done so by besting narratives that have followed the Penguins around for most of the year. Gone is Pittsburgh's perfect record after leading games through two periods and for the first time since Jan. 15, the Penguins have lost two straight games.

Marc-Andre Fleury will no doubt be the talk of the town -- and Mike Sullivan's decision to start his veteran -- as the dust settles on this game. While the shine was starting to wear off of Matt Murray, who was pulled in Game 4 to save confidence and spark motivation rather than punishment, Fleury was given the crease for Game 5. The decision was no easy one, and there probably wasn't a right answer either way. Murray arguably deserved one more shot after the performances he put up, yet Fleury's playoff experience would be more valuable the deeper the Penguins got.

Instead, Fleury looked rusty -- especially late in the game -- though he's not completely at fault for the Penguins' collapse in Game 5. Pittsburgh had their chances as the Lightning gifted them two huge goals at the end of the first and second periods. Yet, the Penguins allowed the Lightning to stay in the game long enough to get that last-minute, game-tying goal in the third period. Between then, there was not enough Pittsburgh pushback to make Tampa Bay pay for the two mistakes that should have cost them the game.

Now, for the first time all postseason, it's the indomitable Penguins with their backs against the wall. How quickly the narratives can change.

Lightning 4, Penguins 3 (OT)

* * *

Get the biggest NHL news, rumors and analysis in your inbox every morning!

* * *

1. The Lightning were so close to tying the game before they actually did

Literally moments before Nikita Kucherov's tying goal, Ryan Callahan looked to have tied the game himself.

Callahan's shot looked like it went in, but after a review it was confirmed no-goal. #CloserToTheGame @SamsungCanadahttps://t.co/rInN1h0sBT

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 23, 2016

The shot fooled everyone, as it hit the crossbar and bounced across the line before hitting the blue paint in a similar vein to Chicago's missed Game 7 goal. It ended up not mattering anyway, but what a turning point that could have been had Kucherov not tied the game.

Post cam of Callahan ringing the iron. So close. pic.twitter.com/g1yMJ54ZNT

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 23, 2016

2. Brian Dumoulin beat the buzzer

It'll get lost in the shuffle, but Dumoulin got his first goal of the season (in both the regular season and postseason) on a buzzer beater with 0.7 seconds to play in the first.

Not a bad time for his first of the season, and the game.

3. The Penguins blocked a lot of shots, especially in the first half of the game

Eventually the Penguins evened up their scoring chances with the Lightning in the third, but for a while Tampa Bay was controlling the play. A big reason why they were outshot again -- this time by a 34-25 margin -- was due to the Penguins blocking shots, 22 of them in fact. Shot totals don't tell the full story this time around.

Jonathan Drouin won't ever have his head down in the neutral zone again. Eric Fehr made him pay for it severely in the first period.

oof pic.twitter.com/2Nbymc2shj

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) May 23, 2016

Tyler Johnson got his backside on the overtime game winner, so of course we have to put that in here as an honorary BUTTGOAL.

Remember Tony, AKA @soloucity on Twitter, who fell in love with hockey during the Blues/Blackhawks Game 7? We're dedicating a section in our recaps to the gems of his Twitter account during the playoffs.

where the hell is murray? pic.twitter.com/Ma8KxY4obi

— Tony X. (@soIoucity) May 23, 2016

#TBLightning Nikita Kucherov in...

2014-15 Playoffs: 10 G in 26 GP

2015-16 Playoffs: 11 G in 15 GP

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 23, 2016