Penguins Get Off Fast, Hold On : Stanley Cup: After a record three goals in less than three minutes, they survive North Stars, 5-3.

It was a night of survival at the Met Center for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals, center Mario Lemieux survived the pregame warm-up and the ever-hazardous lacing of the skates without further back spasms.

After getting off to the fastest start in finals history with three goals in less than three minutes, the Penguins survived a furious Minnesota North Star rally.

They escaped two point-blank shots by Neal Broten.

They withstood a five-minute major penalty without giving up a shot on goal.

The result was a 5-3 victory Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 15,378 to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2 with Game 5 back at Pittsburgh Thursday night.

Lemieux missed Game 3 because of the spasms, triggered by bending over to unlace his skates before the pregame warm-up.

His return Tuesday provided an emotional wave that Pittsburgh rode to three goals in the first 2:58 after the opening faceoff.

Kevin Stevens scored his 16th postseason goal 58 seconds into the game, Ron Francis his fifth at 2:36 and Lemieux added his 14th at 2:58.

“Well, if you were going to create a scenario of how not to start a game, that would be it,” Minnesota Coach Bob Gainey said.

The record time for three opening goals was 10:03, set by the New York Islanders against the North Stars the last time Minnesota played in the finals a decade ago.

But while that 1981 game ended 5-1, this one was just beginning.

The North Stars began play Tuesday 20-2-2 in this building since mid-January and had won eight in a row here in the playoffs, so it was safe to assume they wouldn’t go any more quietly than their raucous fans.

The comeback began with Dave Gagner’s 15th postseason goal near the close of the first period.

After Bryan Trottier scored his third playoff goal at 9:55 of the second period to extend the lead to 4-1, the North Stars’ aggressive, young defense pulled the plug on Pittsburgh’s offense.

Until Trottier’s goal early in the third period, Minnesota outshot Pittsburgh, 17-3.

It was the power play that got the North Stars into the finals. They scored 32 of their 65 postseason goals on power plays coming into this series. But of late, the power has been drained. The North Stars were laboring on a zero-for-13 run when Brian Propp snapped that with his eighth postseason goal at 13:10 of the second period. At 18:25, Mike Modano scored, also his eighth of the postseason and also on a power play.

And just like that it was 4-3 heading into the final period.

Twice in that last 20 minutes, Broten was a flick of the wrist away from tying the score.

First, he found himself alone with Pittsburgh goalie Tom Barrasso at the right post, Barrasso having fallen to the ice. But Broten, forced to hit a backhand shot, couldn’t lift it over Barrasso.

The second time seemed even more of a sure thing. With Barrasso forced out of the center of the crease, Broten took dead aim at the open left side of the net . . . and missed wide.

Asking later if he was thinking about those two opportunities as the clock ran out on the North Stars, he replied with obvious hurt in his voice, “I’m still thinking about them every second.”

The North Stars had one last hope when Troy Loney was hit with a major high-sticking penalty for drawing blood from the nose of Mark Tinordi at 13:03.

But Pittsburgh turned the North Stars away, keeping them from even setting up in the Penguins’ zone until the man advantage ended 3:49 later when Minnesota goalie Jon Casey was called for interference.

Phil Bourque added his sixth postseason goal into an open net.

The quickest start in finals history turned into an agonizing finish. A game that looked as if it might be over in three minutes hung in the balance until the last minute.

NHL Notes

In Bloomington for a meeting of league general managers, King General Manager Rogie Vachon said he has signed forward Jay Miller, heading into his option year, to a new deal for two additional seasons plus an option. Miller, who made $180,000 last season, will receive $260,000 the first season, and $310,000 in both the second season and the option year. . . . Veteran defenseman Larry Robinson, who will be 40 next season, has told Vachon he wants to keep playing. . . . Veteran forward John Tonelli might not fit in the Kings’ plans. . . . The team may switch its training camp site from Hull, Canada, to Lake Arrowhead. . . . The Kings may sell their New Haven Nighthawk farm club to save money. The Nighthawks’ payroll is more than $1 million. The Kings have another farm team in Phoenix. . . . The Kings open next Oct. 4 in Winnipeg. They play Edmonton in the home opener Oct. 8.