Stanley Cup Playoffs : Defenseman Ignites Offense as Canadiens Stay Alive, 5-2

The Montreal Canadiens’ best offense Tuesday night came from defenseman Larry Robinson.

“I know we’re a better club than what we showed in Montreal,” Coach Jean Perron said after the Canadiens stayed alive in the National Hockey League semifinals with a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5. “Our defense has carried the club all year, and tonight it carried us again.”

Robinson, backbone of the NHL’s top defense, starred on offense as well. He scored the tiebreaking goal in the first period and assisted on three others as the Canadiens, facing elimination, sent the series back to Montreal for Game 6 Thursday night.

The Flyers had swept a two-game weekend series in Montreal to move into a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven Wales Conference final.

But the Canadiens, who appeared to be outclassed in Sunday night’s 6-3 loss, made sure it wouldn’t happen again with a brilliant defensive effort at the Spectrum that included holding the Flyers to four shots on goal in the final period.

“We repeated to ourselves a thousand times tonight that we dug ourselves a hole in Montreal,” Robinson said. “We knew we had to dig ourselves out of it, and that helped us tonight.”

As for Robinson’s big performance, teammate Bob Gainey said:

“Larry doesn’t surprise me with his play. I’ve seen it often enough. He can do that to any team in the league.”

Robinson, a 14-year veteran who has been a member of six Stanley Cup championship teams with the Canadiens, gave Montreal a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 14:48 of the first period.

He then assisted on goals by Craig Ludwig and Guy Carbonneau 19 seconds apart in the second period to give the defending Stanley Cup champions a 4-1 lead.

Scott Mellanby scored for Philadelphia 48 seconds later, but it was too little, too late for the Flyers as the Canadiens won for the sixth time in eight road games in this year’s playoffs.

The Flyers have lost 5 of 10 home playoff games. During the regular season, the Philadelphia was 29-9-2 on home ice.

Claude Lemieux scored his fourth goal of the playoffs with 34 seconds left in the game, assisted by Robinson, for Montreal’s final score.

The four points by Robinson gave him 15 for the playoffs (2 goals, 13 assists) to lead all defensemen.

Bobby Smith scored a first-period goal for Montreal before Derrick Smith tied it for Philadelphia.