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| Penguins celebrate their Game Five win, a 3-2 decision, over the Providence Bruins. |
Anton Zlobin has a knack for scoring big goals.
He scored the game-winning OT goal in the Memorial Cup Final in 2012. He won Game One of the Pens' first round series with Binghamton with an overtime tally. Zlobin also added the game-winning goal in Game Two of this series, a 6-2 rout of these same Providence Bruins.
Tonight, he scored a big rebound goal in the 3rd period after a great effort from Jayson Megna, to put the Penguins ahead 3-2 in the game tonight and a 3-2 series lead heading back home for Monday night's Game Six.
Despite tonight's game-winner, it wasn't Zlobin announced as the game's first star. It was goaltender Peter Mannino, who made 31 saves on 33 shots including at least five bell-ringer saves in crucial moments of the game. I don't think anyone who saw tonight's game at the Dunkin Donuts Center will disagree with the first star selection.
Two more rookie forwards - Conor Sheary and Josh Archibald - helped the Penguins in a big way tonight. Sheary assisted on Archibald's first AHL playoff goal, extending Sheary's point streak in the playoffs to four games. Archibald made an immediate impact in his first AHL playoff game. Both of them were very noticeable throughout tonight's contest - a lot to look forward to with these young forwards in the Penguins organization.
The Penguins came out a little flat to start the game, giving up the first four shots of the hockey game, but started to get things going later in the period despite not converting on their first two power plays.
The PBruins, meanwhile, took advantage of their first power play and took a 1-0 lead 12:47 into the first period on a Ryan Spooner shot that eluded Peter Mannino through heavy traffic. Craig Cunningham deflected the shot on its way to Mannino and Seth Griffith added a secondary assist on the PBruins power play goal.
The Pens got things going late in the first and evened things up on a nice series of passing between Harry Zolnierczyk and Spencer Machacek. Zolnierczyk broke into the offensive zone and fed Machacek, who's return pass was redirected by Zolnierczyk and past Malcolm Subban with 3:31 left in the opening period. Zach Sill started the play and picked up a secondary assist.
The Penguins weren't done there either, capitalizing on their third power play of the period. Subban stopped Brian Dumoulin's point shot, but rookie forward Josh Archibald - playing in his first AHL playoff game - slammed home the rebound through Subban's five hole to give the Pens a 2-1 lead.
The PBruins responded late in the 2nd period after a flurry of pressure below the faceoff dots and enforcer Tyler Randell muscled a loose puck past Mannino to even things at 2-2 heading into the third.
ROSTER NOTES
Peter Mannino got the start in net for the Penguins, while Malcolm Subban drew the start for Providence.
Three changes up front for the Penguins, who scratched Nick Drazenovic, Bobby Farnham and Dominik Uher for Mike Carman, Spencer Machacek and Josh Archibald (AHL playoff debut).
No changes on defense for the Pens, as Harrison Ruopp again took warmups and was the healthy scratch on the WBS blue line.
Lines to start Game Five:
Zolnierczyk-Gibbons-Kobasew
Sheary-Megna-Zlobin
Payerl-Carman-Kostopoulos
Archibald-Sill-Machacek
McNeill-Despres
Dumoulin-Mikkelson
Harrington-Goers
Mannino-Murray
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