2016 ECF Game 3 - Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning May 18th 2016 (HD)
Photo Marc-Andre Fleury, back as the Penguins starter in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, saved 21 of 25 shots, but not the one above by the Lightnings Nikita Kucherov. Credit Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
PITTSBURGH Marc-Andre Fleury sprinted onto the ice for warm-ups about 40 minutes before Game 5 of the N.H.L.s Eastern Conference finals Sunday night. The home crowd, which featured Shawn Michaels, the former professional wrestler, and members of the Pittsburgh Pirates, was on its feet and roaring.
This was supposed to be the night Fleury, the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise goaltender, who had been backing up the 21-year-old rookie Matt Murray for nearly three weeks, put things back in order for his team.
But the Tampa Bay Lightning had other ideas.
Led by two goals and an assist from Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning stormed back from a 2-0 deficit midway through the game to eke out a 4-3 overtime victory. Now, the Penguins, the hottest team coming into the playoffs, are one loss away from elimination in this best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Tuesday in Tampa, and it is not clear if Fleury will still be defending the Penguins net.
Describing his teams goalie situation as imperfect, Pittsburgh Coach Mike Sullivan said he would settle on a starter Tuesday morning.
We wish the circumstances were different, but theyre not, Sullivan said Monday.
Two games ago, it was Tampa Bay that looked down and out. In the first three games of the series, the Penguins outshot the Lightning, 124-69. Over time, it seemed, Pittsburgh would wear them down with their speed and depth, especially since the Lightning were without their star goalie, Ben Bishop, who left Game 1 with an injury to his left leg, and one of the leagues top goal scorers, Steven Stamkos, who may miss the entire playoffs after having surgery to remove a blood clot.
The Lightning bounced back with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 to even the series, but Pittsburgh nearly came back from a four-goal deficit in the game, outshooting the Lightning, 16-7, in the third period on the way to three goals.
The Penguins seemed poised to take control of Game 5 back in Pittsburgh. At first, they delivered, holding the Lightning to only four shots after one period. Midway through the game, Pittsburgh appeared to have the game in hand, holding a two-goal lead.
But then Alex Killorn scored what Fleury called a stupid goal to the top corner of the net. Two of the next three goals were scored by Tampa Bay, sending the game into overtime. It took 53 seconds and a deflection off the back of Tampa Bays Tyler Johnson to quiet the fans and put Tampa Bay one win away from its second straight trip to the Stanley Cup finals.
Pittsburgh had not lost two straight games since mid-January.
Were in a tough position, forward Patric Hornqvist said after the game.
While they have performed brilliantly at times, the Penguins have also suffered from momentary defensive lapses, ill-advised penalties and questionable passes.
If we play right for all 60 minutes, we win, forward Evgeni Malkin said Monday before the team flew to Florida.
But winning will be made tougher by the absence of Trevor Daley, who will miss the remainder of the playoffs after he broke his left ankle in Game 4. Except for Kris Letang, Daley had been on the ice more than any other Penguins defenseman this postseason. In Game 5, Daley was replaced by Olli Maatta, 21, who was a healthy scratch in the previous three games. Maatta responded with an assist and a superb individual play that set up a goal by Chris Kunitz.
Nevertheless, Maatta was barely audible when speaking to reporters after the crushing defeat.
I just wanted to go out there and help the team win, and obviously that didnt happen, he said.
Nobody seemed more disappointed than Fleury, who performed well but not spectacularly after weeks on the bench. He saved 21 of the 25 shots he faced.
I should have been better, Fleury, who led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup in 2009, said Sunday. Its tough to lose.
At the start of the season, Fleury was having a banner year. He kept Pittsburgh afloat during early-season struggles that led the Penguins to hire Sullivan and forced General Manager Jim Rutherford to remake the roster.
Fleury, 31, finished with the lowest goals against average of his N.H.L. career (2.29) and his best save percentage (.921). But he sustained a concussion on March 31, putting an end to his regular season.
Fleurys injury led to a marvelous postseason run by Murray, who turns 22 on Wednesday. Starting 13 straight games, Murray managed a 9-4 record with a 2.33 goals against average and a .923 save percentage after having played only 13 N.H.L. games entering the playoffs. Fleury, meanwhile, sat on the bench after he was cleared to play on May 2.
Against Tampa Bay, though, Murray posted a pedestrian 2-2 record with a 2.75 goals against average and a .896 save percentage. After allowing four goals over the first two periods of Game 4, Murray was replaced by Fleury.
Whoever is in net Tuesday, he may be called upon to steal a game to keep Pittsburghs season alive.
These guys have shown their resilience time and time again, and now it will be tested more than ever, Sullivan said.
Continue reading the main storySource: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/sports/hockey/nhl-eastern-conference-penguins-lightning-fleury.html
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