Game 5: No 'Miracle on Ice' for 1980 Pens

It looked like Game 4 all over again. And that was unfortunate for the Pens, whose dream of upsetting one of the NHL's top teams in the first round of the 1980 playoffs turned into a Boston Garden nightmare.

The Bruins, perhaps stung by these pesky Penguins taking them to the brink of elimination, once again roared out of the gate and took control of the game, amassing leads of 2-0 after 1 and 4-0 after 2. This article from the Post-Gazette the day after focuses on goalie Greg Millen's surprisingly positive reaction to the loss. The column beneath it by the paper's sports editor speculates on coach Johnny Wilson's future in Pittsburgh, which wouldn't be bright - he was soon fired, making way for none other than Eddie Johnston.

The two pieces on this page of the Beaver County Times offer the views of two fans who were chosen to write columns for the paper.

And this article from the Eugene Register-Guard nicely outlines the impact rookie Ray Bourque had on the series.

This loss would represent the first of three heartbreaking, deciding Game 5 losses the Pens would endure over the next three seasons.

Game 4: "It was a long game"

The worst period in Penguins playoff history deflates the "pumped up" Pittsburghers and contributes to an 8-3 Bruin whitewashing.

Youngsters Ray Bourque and "Greg" MacTavish lead the assault and help force a deciding fifth game back in the Hub. Here are all the gorey details in an AP wire story.

Penguins-Bruins 1980: Game 1

In Game One, the Penguins shocked the Bruins and the mere 9,725 Boston spectators who came out to see what was supposed to be a ho-hum drubbing of the visitors. The rejuvinated Pens, coming off a disappointing end to a disappointing regular season, withstood a 38-shot Bruin barrage to claim a 4-2 victory.

Goalie Greg Millen, in his first-ever playoff action, stood on his head, stopping enough of Boston's 20 third-period howitzers to give the underdog Pens an inconceivable 1-0 series lead.

This article from the April 9, 1980 Post-Gazette summarizes the tilt, while the others around it contain some nice quotes from the victors' locker room deep in the bowels of the old Boston Garden.

This game was also the playoff debut of Raymond Bourque, the future Hall of Famer. He fired an incredible nine shots on Millen - who stopped them all.