PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – An errant shot off the back boards that hit off the back of the Flyers goalie kept the Penguins season alive, a 3-2 win in Game 5 and Philadelphia’s lead in the series is now 3-2 with Game 6 out east on Wednesday night.
Scoring
Anthony Mantha, who didn’t have a point in the series after a career-high 33 goals in the regular season, outfought Rasmus Ristolainen behind the net and fed it perfectly outfront to Elmer Soderblom in the first period. His one-timer beat Dan Vladar for a 1-0 lead 2:45 into the game.
“That’s a big goal to get us going,” said Pens head coach Dan Muse. “I thought Mo did a great job of getting into the forecheck in that goal. That’s a big moment in the game.”
Pens with a ton of pressure early in the second period, as the Flyers tried to get a clear high, Sidney Crosby grabs it with his hand, quickly settles it and passes it over to Connor Dewar who holds and fires over the stick side of Vladar and 2-0 lead at 3:23.
“He’s got skill and if you go through his goals, he’s got some pretty ones too,” Muse said. “Sid made a nice play and it’s a beautiful finish. He’s got skill and doesn’t take any plays off.”
Flyers score eight seconds later, Alex Bump drives in and around Parker Wotherspoon and his shot somehow makes it through Arturs Silovs to make it 2-1.
Philly controlling zone time later in the second and Travis Sanheim fires it into traffic and it bounces off of Erik Karlsson’s stick to make it 2-2 at 15:06.
Pens keeping the puck in two minutes later. Defenseman Kris Letang, who scored the game-winner on Saturday, fired a shot off the boards and as Vladar looked for the puck out front it had actually hit off the inside of his left leg and trickled over the goal line and it’s 3-2 Pens.
“Especially after the looks I got in the second, I can’t believe that one goes in,” Letang said. “I just tried to put it there, obviously just made a crazy bounce. Sometimes you create your own luck.”
“I’m a big believer, I think you earn your bounces,” Muse said. “If you are working to do the right things, that’s when bounces go your way.”
Crosby with an assist, giving him back-to-back multi-point games. He’s third in NHL history with 68 career multi-point playoff games.
Goalie Arturs Silovs won his second straight start stopping 18 of 20 shots including a couple at key times.
“He’s been making some huge saves back there,” said forward Bryan Rust. “He’s been calm back there, same thing he’s been doing all year.”
“I think (Monday) was our best game of the series, a lot to build from,” Silovs said. “I think we played really well.”
Series back to Philadelphia for Game 6 Wednesday night.
“Things can change on a dime,” Rust said. “I think we are just trying to take it one shift, one period at a time.”
Once down 3-0, Flyers lead trimmed to 3-2
Once down 3-0, Flyers lead trimmed to 3-2
