BIG MOMENTS - June 6, 2009: PIT @ DET
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Stanley Cup Finals - Game 5 - Pittsburgh at Detroit
Catching the Pens on their heels in transition, Datsyuk crossed the Pittsburgh blue line and dished a pass through a triangle of Penguins onto the tape of Cleary. Cleary let a shot go between the legs of Brooks Orpik. With the Pittsburgh defenseman functioning as a screen, a blinded Marc-Andre Fleury was unable to stop the puck, as the Wings scored the only goal of the first period to take a 1-0 lead.
Hossa skated in toward the net and dished the puck off to Valtteri Filppula, who put it past Marc-Andre Fleury, giving the Wings a 2-0 lead with a momentum-seizing goal just 1:44 into the second period.
Kronwall's power play goal -- only Detroit's second of the series -- gave the Wings a 3-0 lead before the midway point of the second period, putting them in commanding position with 33 minutes to go.
After Jordan Staal tallied on a shorthanded breakaway against Rafalski in Game 4, Rafalski wouldn't make the same mistake again. Despite not having a stick, Rafalski positioned himself in front of Talbot in the defensive zone and managed to dive in front of the Pittsburgh center, poking the puck away and ending the Penguins' last opportunity to get back into the game.
Rafalski moved in and let a wrist shot fly from the top of the right circle. With Marc-Andre Fleury's vision impaired by numerous screens, the puck grazed off the left post and into the net, and the rout was on. It wouldn't be the last goal for the Wings in Game 5, but it sealed a blowout victory, setting Detroit up with a chance to lift the Cup for the fifth time since 1997 on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.
FINAL SCORE: Red Wings 5, Penguins 0
