PITTSBURGH -- Not long after the Pittsburgh Penguins had vacated their locker room following a dramatic, 3-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 of what is becoming an increasingly interesting series, only one player remained.
Kris Letang, looking confident as he does in good and bad times, sat at his locker. But he wasn't so much soaking in the scene as he was already preparing for the next battle, slowly removing his armor and looking somewhere between zen and hungry for more action.
At that point, it started to become clear what is going on here.
Are the Penguins a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup? Never say never about any team in the NHL, let alone one captained by Sidney Crosby, but the odds would be against it for a number of reasons. For that matter, the odds are still against them winning this series, mathematically speaking.
But one can't deny that things are different now, with pressure on the Flyers and the Penguins very much alive. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Letang are two wins away from producing one of the most memorable series wins of this century. Only four teams in NHL history have come back from 3-0 down in a series, and none have done so with a 38-year-old living legend as captain, with a 39-year-old defenseman producing consecutive game-winning goals, and a 39-year-old sidekick playing for his very future with the franchise.
It's a different kind of series, and it would be among the greatest feats in the history of this Big Three if they were to pull it off.
The final few minutes at PPG Paints Arena were thick with energy. Holding onto a 3-2 lead during the entire final period, the Penguins played the kind of defensive hockey we rarely see from them. They weren't flawless, but it was close. The crowd was so electric that a number of Penguins veterans said it pushed them through the finish line. They're still two wins away from the ultimate finish line, but this was a necessary step.
So much of this season has felt like a farewell tour for Crosby, Malkin and Letang. Only Crosby's future with the Penguins would appear to be secure on his terms. The trio has been together for 20 seasons, the longest of any three teammates in the history of North American professional sports. It was clear that the crowd in Pittsburgh was roaring not just with emotion for the home team as it typically would, but to keep the glory days going a little longer.
"I think it's huge," Crosby said of the crowd in the final few minutes. "We definitely feed off of that. We feel that."
Arturs Silovs played quite a game, stopping 18 of 20 shots. If he didn't make the final saves in the last few minutes, it felt like the crowd could keep the puck out of the net anyway. There haven't been many atmospheres like this in the 15-year history of PPG Paints Arena: Playoff excellence intersected with nostalgia, with the result being pure theater.
"They (the crowd) were unbelievable," Bryan Rust said. "They helped push us. I think that also kind of hurt them (the Flyers), or whatnot. It definitely gave us a boost."
Letang and Crosby were pretty unbelievable. Crosby recorded two assists and played his finest game since the injury that robbed him of finishing his international career at the Olympics in style. He recorded two assists, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He won 12 of 20 draws, including a couple of crucial ones in the final moments with the Penguins clinging to the 3-2 advantage. In many ways, he was the game’s most dominant player, seemingly winning every battle on the boards and typically making every proper decision. He left the game after getting struck by a puck on his right leg in the second period, but quickly returned.
Then there was Letang, who has endured two strokes, heart surgery, chronic migraines, career-threatening neck surgery and an enormous amount of smaller injuries over his career. This NHL season, in which he’s very much looked his age, has been perhaps his worst.
Late in the regular season, though, he started to come to life. And after a rough start to the series, he was one of the Penguins’ best players in their wins in Games 4 and 5. His defensive work has been noteworthy, and his goal scoring has been necessary.
“We’re just getting to our game now,” Letang said.
The same could be said of him.
It remains to be seen if the Penguins will live to send this series back to a climatic finish in Game 7, which would be played on Saturday in Pittsburgh. First things first, they must win in the zoo that will be Philadelphia.
The Flyers might remain in the driver’s seat, but the Penguins are suddenly breathing down their necks. They’re two victories away from making the farewell tour all worth it.
“We just kept feeding off the crowd,” Rust said.
They were feeding off the franchise icons, too. Those guys have an opportunity to write quite a script. Crosby looked like a guy preparing to put his team on his back.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone in this room,” coach Dan Muse said. “When things get hard, when backs are against the wall, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to do everything possible to help this team win a hockey game.”
- This was a great hockey game, easily the best of the series. The Penguins struck first, but the Flyers never went away. Then the Penguins took the lead, and the final 20 minutes was a display of desperation and intelligent hockey. It was the fastest-paced of the series too, and the Flyers certainly had their share of looks in the last couple of minutes.
- Crosby was magnificent. He was limping when he returned to the bench in the second period after dealing with the Ryan Shea shot that struck his leg, but after a standing ovation and seeing the Flyers even the game a few seconds later, he essentially took over the game. Crosby didn’t score, but he was by far the best player on the ice. All of his greatest on-ice attributes -- strength on the boards; ability to hold onto puck for long stretches; vision; determination; trademark clutch moments -- were on display Monday night.
- Letang’s goal was an act by hockey gods and not much else, but he deserves credit for everything else he did. It’s been a very difficult season for Letang; who looks like he’s about at end. But it says something about his character and desire to win that he’s been able to find and elevate his game in most difficult of circumstances.
- His defense partner, Sam Girard; was also terrific. Decision-making has been an issue for Girard; who has been far too aggressive at times and far too cute at others. Not in this game; though. He was cerebral all night and very much in sync with Letang.
- Silovs deserves high marks once again. Think about pressure he’s faced: Team was down 3-0 in series; on road; then returned home looking to keep franchise’s legends going for at least couple more days. That’s a lot. But Silovs has played well and has calm about him.
- Anthony Mantha; a no-show in first four games of this series; showed up in big way. He was everywhere and played nasty; aggressive game. This is version of Mantha Penguins require. He was outstanding.
- Connor Dewar’s shot that gave Penguins a 2-0 lead was a rocket. The Penguins instantly became a better team when Kyle Dubas acquired him from Toronto 14 months ago.
- Ben Kindel isn’t producing any offense right now but he enjoyed his best game of the series. His poise with the puck is a great strength. He also played his most physically abrasive game.
- The Flyers should be concerned. The Penguins have won two games in a row yet haven’t fully shown up offensively. This was third-highest scoring team in NHL during regular season. You have to wonder if one of these nights the Penguins’ offensive machine is going to erupt. Also Vladar looked shaky in this game.
- The series has followed the script of the infamous 2012 series; game by game. The Penguins even won Game 5 of that series at home; 3-2. We know how that series ended. Maybe this one will follow a similar path. But the Penguins’ big guns are starting to turn back the clock. The whole hockey world will be watching on Wednesday night. For good reason.