With starting goalie Tom Barrasso unable to go after injuring his shoulder in Game 5 of their 1991 Patrick Division semi-final series, the Penguins turned to backup Frank Pietrangelo in a game that saw their season on the brink. Down three games to two, Pittsburgh would have to win in enemy territory to send it back to the Steel City for a decisive Game 7…or get their golf clubs shined up for a long summer.
Pietrangelo’s first NHL playoff game got off to a shaky start when a pass from behind his net by Devils winger John MacLean caromed off defenseman Larry Murphy’s skate and into his net at 3:29 of the first. Fortunately for the Pens, Mario Lemieux was clearly on his game this night, controlling the play whenever he stepped on to the ice. The Penguins kept their composure and tied the game on a Kevin Stevens snap shot at 10:49. Stevens then added a power play marker to give the Penguins the lead.
And then…it happened: “The Save.”
With the Devils pressing, Peter Stastny was ready to fire home what surely looked liked the tying goal, with the puck on his stick and half an empty net at which to shoot. Well, almost empty. There was Pietrangelo’s glove stretched out to cover a minute part of the gaping cage, and that’s just where Stastny put it.
The Devils had their sticks in the air. The Meadowlands crowd was already cheering. But there was no goal to celebrate, thanks to the backup’s incredible grab, still widely recognized as the greatest save in Penguins history.
“He hit my glove. It’s not a matter of a skill save, it’s a lucky save,” said a humble Pietrangelo later. He added, though, that “lucky or not, a save like that is a big lift for the team.”
From there, the Penguins built a 4-1 lead and held on for a gutsy 4-3 win. The Devils looked to have tied it late when Laurie Boschman directed the puck into the Pens net. The replay showed it went off his skate and then his stick, which would have been a legal goal. However, referee Bill McCreary had ruled it was directed in by Boschman’s skate and waved it off.
It was back to Pittsburgh for a winner-take-all Game 7.
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