Penguins do a lot of growing up in one game

DETROIT -- Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero took a moment to ponder the question.

Had his team come of age Monday with the 4-3, triple-overtime victory that sent the Stanley Cup finals back to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for a sixth game, a performance built on resilience and pluck and the unflappable goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury?

“I know the manager did,” he said, smiling.

The question wasn’t whether he aged, but whether his team had reached a new level of maturity by tying the Detroit Red Wings with fewer than 35 seconds left in their season and weathering a 58-shot barrage with hardly a wobble until Petr Sykora scored 9:57 into the third overtime.

During the third period, the Stanley Cup had been pulled out of its case to be polished in preparation for its presentation to the Red Wings.

Shero never saw that, which was just as well.

There was so much else to see just watching Fleury, who was too tired afterward to remove his pads and sat slumped deep into his locker stall, a weary smile on his face.

“Going back to Pittsburgh, that’s awesome,” Fleury said, his voice barely audible. “It’s going to be great to go back home.”

They earned that right with a performance that was downright Red Wings-like in its grit and perseverance and physicality.

They led, 2-0, less than 15 minutes into the first period, fell behind, 3-2, and pulled even after pulling Fleury for an extra skater and Maxime Talbot’s second whack at a loose puck eluded Chris Osgood.

The Red Wings carried the play throughout the overtime, but it was the young Penguins who carried the day.

Shero, son of former Flyers coach and general manager Fred Shero, almost couldn’t believe what he saw.

“Detroit is a great team and everybody sees it,” he said. “To see Marc-Andre Fleury play like that and keep the team alive . . . I’m really proud of my team tonight. Coming of age can’t hurt playing under these circumstances.”

The game was what hockey is supposed to be, what it can be when it is played at a breathtaking pace, as it was Monday by the world-class players whose skills quickened the pulse of every fan in Joe Louis Arena.

With the Cup in the house and ready to be lifted out of its case for sweaty hugs and sloppy kisses, the savvy and playoff-tested Red Wings inexplicably lost their poise.

With the end of their season so near, the Penguins proved that youth isn’t wasted on the young. They battled in the corners, in front of the net and in all spots in between for as long as their legs would allow them to remain upright.

Fleury was spectacular, stopping 27 shots in the third period and first overtime combined. Osgood was solid too, getting far less work -- only six shots in the third period and the first overtime -- but making a fine save on Evgeni Malkin 9:21 into overtime and confidently catching the puck when it popped off his glove after he made the initial save.

So many ups and downs.

So many superhuman efforts.

Pittsburgh forward Ryan Malone was hit in the face by a shot during the second period and left the ice with his nose a bloody mess, likely the fourth broken nose of his career.

A few minutes later his teammate, steady defenseman Sergei Gonchar, had to be helped off the ice after sliding hard into the end boards while trying to break up a two-on-one rush.

Both returned for the start of the third period. After all, they’re hockey players. They didn’t want to miss any of the action, and who could blame them?

These teams were so evenly matched, it didn’t matter that they were built so differently.

The Penguins were built mainly on the players they chose with draft picks they’d earned by being so bad for so long. In 2006 they chose standout center Jordan Staal second overall in the entry draft, a year after they had won a special post-lockout draft lottery and were able to select franchise-maker Sidney Crosby first overall.

In 2004, they chose Russian forward Evgeni Malkin second overall, a year after making Fleury the first overall pick. Stalwart defenseman Brooks Orpik is another first-round pick, chosen 18th in 2000.

A few veterans, acquired by trade or as free agents, added leadership that helped the youngsters grow up fast. Gary Roberts, Sykora and Darryl Sydor brought playoff experience. Pascal Dupuis and Marian Hossa, acquired on a trade deadline-day deal with Atlanta, gave Crosby a pair of reliable wingers and relieved some of the onerous pressure he bears.

The Red Wings, by contrast, have been so good for so long that they haven’t gotten many top-20 draft picks in the last 15 years. However, their scouting staff has uncovered many gems from European leagues in the later rounds of the draft, players who have become the team’s core.

Different philosophies combined to produce great hockey Monday. The Red Wings still need only one more victory, but the Penguins aren’t going to make it easy.

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Helene Elliott can be reached at helene.elliott@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Elliott, go to latimes.com/elliott.