Penguins Just One Win Away From Cup, 6-4

It was the night Pittsburgh Penguin wing Mark Recchi returned to the scoring column and goalie Frank Pietrangelo returned to the ice.

It was the night the Penguins returned home with a big offensive splash, scoring four unanswered goals in the first 13:41 of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

And yet, with it all, Pittsburgh needed a goal from a man who didn’t even know he had scored it to finally put away the stubborn Minnesota North Stars, 6-4, at Civic Arena, giving the Penguins a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 6 Saturday night in Minnesota.

Two of Pittsburgh’s first four goals were scored by Recchi, ending an offensive slump that rendered him nearly invisible in the finals. After scoring 31 points (eight goals) in the previous three playoff series, one behind league leader Mario Lemieux, Recchi had only an assist to show for the first four games of the finals.

“It was definitely about time,” said Recchi, who had 40 goals and 113 points in the regular season. “I just started to skate instead of standing still. Sometimes, you just don’t have the legs. It (his first goal) was a breath of fresh air.”

It also elicited a collective sigh of relief from the sellout crowd of 16,164. Recchi’s two goals, along with Lemieux’s 15th of the postseason, Kevin Stevens’ 17th and three of Larry Murphy’s four Thursday night assists, gave Pittsburgh their early lead.

Minnesota Coach Bon Gainey, on the other hand, couldn’t be blamed for muttering under his breath. For the second game in a row, his club had burrowed into a hole too deep to escape.

When the North Stars were shocking the hockey world by winning their first three playoff series, their usual modus operandi was to race to the early lead and then go into their often-impenetrable defensive shell.

But in Game 4, the North Stars gave up the first three goals.

And they went one better in Game 5, when they were outshot, 18-7, in the opening period.

This time, Gainey took action, yanking goalie Jon Casey after he had surrendered the four goals on 13 shots.

Brian Hayward came on in relief and held the Penguins while his team got back in the game.

Before the first period was over, Neal Broten’s ninth postseason goal put Minnesota on the scoreboard at 14:52.

By the start of the second period, the other starting goalie was gone as well. Tom Barrasso was reported to have a pulled groin after getting hit on the side by Basil McRae in the first period. McRae ran into the goalie when he came out of the crease to clear a puck, drawing a roughing penalty.

Pietrangelo had appeared in four previous playoff games this season, all as a starter. But he hadn’t played since the Patrick Division finals.

And he didn’t know he would be playing Thursday until just eight minutes remained in the first intermission.

“I didn’t know he (Barrasso) was hurt,” Pietrangelo said. “He (Coach Bob Johnson) came over and told me, ‘OK, you’re in.’ It was that simple.”

Simple it wasn’t.

Pietrangelo, who had a 3-1 postseason record and a 2.9 goals-against average coming in, gave up Dave Gagner’s 11th playoff goal in the second period to cut the margin to 4-2.

Pittsburgh answered with Ron Francis’ sixth goal with 3:34 left in the second period.

But the North Stars scored twice more before the final period was half over on Ulf Dahlen’s second playoff goal and another one by Gagner to make it 5-4 at the 7:42 mark.

Now it was the Penguins’ turn to play tight defense. For the first time in the finals, Paul Coffey, still playing with a fractured jaw, was taking a regular defensive shift. In his previous appearances, he had been permitted to go in only on power plays.

Finally, at the 18:21 mark, Pittsburgh got the goal that clinched the victory.

Murphy shot from about 40 feet out on the left side. Teammate Troy Loney was rushing the net with Broten in pursuit. Both Broten and the puck hit Loney from behind, sending both past a helpless Hayward into the net.

At least, that’s what the replays appeared to show. Don’t ask Loney. He’s still trying to figure it out.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I honestly don’t. I put my head down, went to the net and tried to get a piece of the puck. I didn’t even realize it was in.”

In it was, putting Pittsburgh within 60 minutes of the Stanley Cup.

NHL Notes

The Penguins don’t know if Tom Barrasso will be able to return to the net for Game 6. . . . Pittsburgh outshot Minnesota, 31-25. . . . The Penguins scored on two of seven power plays. The North Stars were blanked on their four attempts. . . . Kevin Stevens’ 17th goal broke a tie with Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins for this year’s postseason high.