Bob Wojnowski: Game 5: Penguins 4, Red Wings 3 (3OT)

Penguins put Wings' celebration on hold

DETROIT -- Party postponed. Put the Stanley Cup back in the box, for now.

On an incredible night of emotional swings, when the game seemed won and lost and won again about a dozen times, the Red Wings lost in crushing fashion, in the third overtime. As the clock ticked toward 1 a.m., Penguins right wing Petr Sykora fired a shot past Chris Osgood to beat the Wings, 4-3, in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday.

All of sudden, the pressure grows. All of a sudden, the Wings' lead is only 3-2, with Game 6 Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

The winning opportunity was set up when Wings right wing Jiri Hudler was called for a four-minute high-sticking, giving the Penguins the power play.

It was an unbelievable turnaround, after the Wings fired shot upon shot, after they carried a lead into the final minute of regulation, on the verge of celebration.

The Wings had their chances -- oh, my, did they have their chances. But Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stole the game and killed the party, thwarting the Wings' furious flurries. The Wings outshot the Penguins by an astounding 58-32, but couldn't get the clincher.

How do the Wings shake this one off?

"We got no choice," Henrik Zetterberg said. "We're still confident. Game 6s have been very good for us. We just have to get fluids in, get our bodies ready and regroup."

Maybe the size of the moment hit the Red Wings flush in the face. Or maybe thoughts of parades and trophies danced too early in too many heads.

Or more likely, Fleury was just magnificent. The puck bounced crazily all night, off sticks, off crossbars, off skates. And yes, again and again, it hit Fleury, as the Joe Louis Arena crowd shrieked and gasped.

This was terrific drama, if you're into heart-stopping entertainment and ridiculous saves. The Wings overcame early nerves and a two-goal deficit with a furious rally and a relentless array of shots, but they couldn't get the winner, no matter how desperately they pressed.

Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Dan Cleary and others all had prime chances in overtime, and with every save, the exhausting tension mounted.

Pressure grows

Now what? The Wings must recover quickly, and it won't be easy, because the celebration had practically begun when Penguins center Maxime Talbot scored with 35 seconds left in regulation, a buzzer-beating buzz-kill.

The Penguins came in with little pressure, with virtually everyone reducing their chances to near zero. But when they grabbed a 2-0 lead, they got a breath of life -- and the Wings started breathing heavier.

This is why players always drag out the cliché and declare the fourth victory the toughest one to get. In an arena poised to party, the Wings had work to do, and early, they weren't ready. They played too fancy, as if reluctant to shoot, settling for plays instead of making forceful ones.

Pucks bounced off sticks. Skaters fell down. The Penguins were quicker, looser, sharper. Just when we thought the Red Wings were incapable of getting nervous, they started out very nervous.

How frenetic were the Wings early? The Penguins' second goal wasn't even scored by a Penguin. Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall tried to clear the rebound of an Adam Hall shot and accidentally fired it right past Osgood.

Just like that, the Penguins led 2-0, and I swear it was so quiet in the Joe, you could hear a cup drop.

The Wings kept pressing and the Penguins kept hanging on, right until they got their shot of magic. As if Wings fans aren't nervous enough, it's important to note the Penguins have gotten better as the series has unfolded, and the last three games have been extra tight.

Turnaround time short

We know, we know, it's not supposed to be easy. And really, since the Wings shut out the Penguins, 4-0 and 3-0, the first two games, it hasn't been easy.

With the crowd roaring, the Wings tied the game 2-2 early in the third period in perfectly fitting fashion. It was a beautiful pass from one superstar, Zetterberg, to the other, Datsyuk, who slipped the puck deftly between Fleury's legs.

A few minutes later, Brian Rafalski finally put the Wings on top, taking a pass from Johan Franzen and firing in a power-play goal. But just as the noise grew and echoed, unbelievably, Talbot stuffed a rebound past Osgood to tie the game in the final minute of regulation, a devastating turnaround.

The Wings were staggered.

A few overtimes later, they were felled in stunning fashion.

They don't have much time to get back up, but as the Cup goes back in the box, they don't have a choice.

You can reach Bob Wojnowski at bob.wojnowski@detnews.com.