Penguins stun Detroit in third OT

DETROIT -- Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock didn’t say anything to his players after they squandered a chance to claim the Stanley Cup on Monday night at Joe Louis Arena.

“I don’t talk after we win and I don’t talk after we lose,” he said. “So I don’t have to think of something to say.”

He could have said how surprised he was to see his veteran team so nervous and lose, 4-3, in triple overtime, sending the finals back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 on Wednesday.

Instead, he emphasized that the Red Wings had battled back several times, taking a 3-2 lead in the third period only to see the Penguins pull even with 34.3 seconds left and win it at 9:57 of the third overtime while Jiri Hudler was serving a double-minor for high-sticking.

“We had every opportunity,” he said. “In the end, they scored and we never scored on our chances in overtime.”

The Cup was put back into its packing case and the Red Wings’ party plans postponed after Petr Sykora -- who had predicted during an in-game interview on NBC that he would score the winner -- rifled a shot over the shoulder of goaltender Chris Osgood in a game that ended at 46 minutes past midnight Eastern time.

Sykora, a member of the Ducks during their seven-game Cup finals loss to New Jersey in 2003, took a pass from Evgeni Malkin during a Pittsburgh power play and without hesitation sent it over Osgood’s left shoulder from about 35 feet.

The game was the fifth-longest in Cup finals history, and it was only the second time a team avoided elimination in the finals by tying the score in the final minute of the third period.

The quality of play remained remarkably high for the 109 minutes 57 seconds of play. The Red Wings outshot the Penguins, 58-32, Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was superb, and he had the energy to rejoice at the end.

The Red Wings had taken a 3-2 lead by scoring twice in a 2-minute 40-second span midway through the third period. With Detroit on the power play, Pavel Datsyuk redirected Henrik Zetterberg’s shot from the right circle between Fleury’s leg pads to tie the score at 2-2.

Brian Rafalski put Detroit ahead for the first time at 9:23 of the third with a shot from about 40 feet on the right side.

They pulled Fleury with just over a minute left and scored when Maxime Talbot was left alone next to the post to get two whacks at the rebound of a shot by Marian Hossa. On his second try the puck slipped past Osgood.

The first period was the Red Wings’ worst 20 minutes of the finals. Surprisingly nervous and negligent in their defensive zone, they fell behind, 2-0.

Marian Hossa scored at 8:37 on assists from Crosby and Pascal Dupuis, rifling a shot from the right circle past Chris Osgood’s right arm.

“This was probably one of the best games for a long time and it’s fun,” Penguins Coach Michel Therrien said. “And both teams played really hard and we got a big win here. I think for a young team we have to be excited about that.”

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helene.elliott@latimes.com