Backup Goalies to the Forefront? : Stanley Cup finals: For Game 6, injuries may sideline Penguins’ Barrasso. Ineffectiveness may put North Stars’ Casey on bench.

When this series began, their names were followed by exclamation points. Now, question marks would seem more appropriate.

Goalie Tom Barrasso of the Pittsburgh Penguins and his counterpart on the Minnesota North Stars, Jon Casey, were considered the keys to their teams’ success in the 1991 Stanley Cup finals, and that has largely proven to be the case.

But now, with Pittsburgh leading, 3-2, in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 6 at Met Center tonight, neither goalie might be in the net. Barrasso’s hopes of playing could depend on the Penguins’ doctor, Casey on the North Stars’ coach.

Already bothered by a separated shoulder, Barrasso was forced out of Game 5 with a slight groin pull.

“I feel fine,” he said Friday. “I just have to wait and see. My status is day to day. I can’t get up one day and feel great.”

If he can’t go, the Penguins will turn to backup Frank Pietrangelo, who got the Game 5 victory in relief Thursday night at Pittsburgh, although he appeared shaky at times, giving up the three goals that put the North Stars back in the game after they had fallen behind, 4-1, with Barrasso on the ice. Minnesota eventually lost, 6-4.

“Anytime you put a goalie in cold, it’s difficult,” Penguin Coach Bob Jonnson said, “but I think (Pietrangelo) responded very well.”

Although every goalie is required to come to the arena every night prepared to play, Pietrangelo admitted that’s not possible.

“You can’t really be ready,” he said, “if you don’t think you’re going to play.

“It was a shock to me. I just tried to shut everything else out of my mind.”

Should Pietrangelo start, it wouldn’t be the first time he had been called upon and responded in a big game. During Pittsburgh’s opening playoff series against the New Jersey Devils, the Penguins trailed, 3-2, heading into Game 6. Pietrangelo was in the net for both Pittsburgh’s 4-3 victory in that game and its series-clincher in Game 7, a 4-0 shutout.

The situation with Minnesota is more complex.

For one thing, the North Stars obviously need a victory to stave off elimination.

For another, they don’t have the offense the Penguins have, so a strong defensive effort, beginning in the crease, is critical.

And Minnesota hasn’t been getting it from Casey. After playing well throughout the regular season and into the finals, he has been ineffective in the first period of each of the last two games, allowing seven goals in a total of 16 minutes 39 seconds. Minnesota fell behind, 3-0, in Game 4 on the fastest three goals in finals history, then trailed, 4-0, in Game 5. Despite a furious North Star rally each time, the deficits proved too large to overcome.

Backup goalie Brian Hayward was strong in relief of Casey in Game 5, and Minnesota Coach Bob Gainey wouldn’t rule out starting Hayward tonight.

“When you’re facing elimination,” Gainey said, “you have to think of all your players. I haven’t made up my mind, and if I have, I haven’t told (the goalies) yet.”