Penguins' Greatest Games in the Last 25 Years: Installment Four

Sorry for being on the bench the last few days. Let's get back to my list of the Penguins greatest games in the last 25 years.

Penguins 10-7 win in Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference Semifinal against Philadelphia

This game was one for the ages. Tied 2-2 in the series going into the game, the Penguins rolled to a win of extreme proportions on their home ice. Mario Lemieux tied several playoff records with five (5) goals and eight (8) points, including one of the most memorable goals he has ever scored, in my opinion (more later this summer on that list).

Who could forget #66 hovering behind and to the near side of the goal behind Flyers netminder Ron Hextall when the puck got dumped around the boards from the opposite end. Hextall, not knowing Lemieux was there, went around the other side of the net to try and cut off the puck along the boards behind the goal. In one motion, Le Manifique lifted Hextall's stick and with his long reach, wrapped the puck around the other side of the net into the vacant cage.

That game was one of those nights that Lemieux was just unstoppable. No matter what the Flyers did, he was going to lead the Penguins to victory. It didn't matter if Philadelphia was able to send 12 guys out on the ice.

Of course, this game was also infamous for Hextall chasing Rob Brown after #44 took Lemieux's perfect pass at the side of the goal and buried the Penguins' 9th tally of the game. Hextall obviously didn't like Brown's celebration. I wasn't sure the officials were going to be able to restrain him.

I still can't figure out why Hextall remained in the game that long. The Penguins were putting a woodshed beating on the Flyers. You don't just leave your starting netminder in for that abuse. That's the kind of thing that led Patrick Roy out of Montreal about 7 years later.

Unfortunately, the Penguins didn't win again in the series, bowing out to the Flyers in 7, thanks to the work of unexpected game 7 Flyers starter, backup and later-Penguin Ken Wregget. A lot of people -- me among them -- thought that the Flyers comeback late in game 5, as fruitless as it was then, stabilized them and give them a chance in the remainder of the series. Even though the Penguins won game 5 by the 10-7 score, they led it 10-3. The Flyers scored 4 third period goals and dominated play. That gave them the momentum to come out in game 6 at home and roll, which they did winning 6-2. Wregget did the rest in game 7 and the Penguins first appearance in the playoffs with Lemieux ended on a sour note.

Until the next installment ......