Pens Take Commanding 3-1 Series Lead
 Anaheim 2,  Pittsburgh 5 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T | Final | | ANA (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | | 2 | | PIT (3) | 2 | 0 | 3 | | 5 |
|
,
Mellon Arena,
Pittsburgh, PA |
Shots ANA 24 PIT 35
The Pittsburgh Penguins are just one victory away from winning their first Stanley Cup since 1992 as they now hold a commanding 3-1 series lead over the defending champion Ducks of Anaheim.
The scoring would start early tonight when
Pavel Bure would score his 14th goal of the postseason just 1:13 into the contest. The Ducks would answer right by just 2 minutes later when
Martin Rucinsky would tie the game at 1 with his 4th playoff marker.
Chris Kunitz would benifit from some great passing by
Evgeni Malkin and
Miroslav Satan, scoring his 8th goal of the post season before the end of the 1st to give the Pens a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.
The Ducks would tie the score heading into the 3rd, getting the lone goal of the 2nd period on a shot by
Ryan Getzlaf that would hit both posts before hitting
Marc-Andre Fleury's skate and crossing the line for a 2-2 draw after 40 minutes of play.
"We knew going into the third that it was win now or go to Anaheim tied at two...so we came out as strong as possible", said
Mike Grier who scored twice in the 3rd period, once on an empty net, as the Pens would dominate the frame, outshooting the Ducks 15-4 en route to a 5-2 victory and 3-1 series lead.
The Ducks will fight for their playoff lives less than 48 hours from now as the series shifts back to Anaheim.
Key Stats
Letang Goal (1) 2 Assists
Grier 2 Goals (4)
Kunitz Goal (8)
Bure Goal (14)
Staal/Malkin/Cheechoo Assists
Fleury 22/24
Rucinsky Goal (4) Assist
Getzlaf Goal (7)
Pronger Assist
Bryzgalov 30/34