The Penguins are not dead yet. With the cup being readied, polished and the champagne chilling, The Detroit Red Wings thought that they had another cup for their storied franchise. But the fans at Joe Louis Arena angered the hockey gods by continually chanting, “We want the cup” after their team dominated the Penguins in the third period to take a 3-2 lead in the game.

Thus the hockey gods smote them – with half a minute left in the game, Maxime Talbot banged home a lose puck as Pittsburgh played with an empty net and the extra attacker. As time wound down and the scored tied 3-3 the game headed to overtime.

The Penguins stormed out to a 2-0 lead with first period goals by Hossa (11) and Hall (3) but saw that lead cut in half in the second and then watched in awe as the Red Wings stormed up and down the ice in the third.

Fluery, despite allowing three goals, played lights out in regulation as did Osgood. This series has hinged on goal tending and the better net minder’s team has won every game. The Red Wings were lucky. This game could have been 4-0 at the end of one had it not been for Osgood.

Then came overtime. The Penguins were forced to play down a defenseman as Sergei Gonchar nursed and injury.

In the first extra frame the Red Wings dominated but Fleury was a brick wall.

In the second extra frame the Penguins played even with the Wings.

Then came the prediction by Petr Sykora – he was going to score the winning goal. And then we were in the third overtime.

It came down to a Penguins power play that had been stoned all night taking to the ice on a double minor for high sticking – and the return of Sergei Gonchar. It did not take long after that. The Penguins forced the puck deep, moved it out to Sykora and he fired it into the net to make the series 3-2 with the 4-3 win.

That means game six on Wednesday night at the Igloo. That means another do or die game for the Penguins. Forget winning two. The Penguins need to concentrate on just winning one.

Side note:
For the superstitious the daily big four here in Pennsylvania had a winning number of 7171. Malkin (71) set up Sykora’s (17) winning goal. Not that I necessarily believe in all that stuff … now if you don’t mind I have to take off my lucky jersey, socks, hat and pants and tend to my playoff beard.