What to watch for: 1991 Stanley Cup Final (Game 5)

This week AT&T SportsNet will continue airing a series of "Pittsburgh Penguins Classic" content. The includes re-airing the Penguins' final two victories against the Minnesota North Stars in the 1991 Stanley Cup Final (Games 5 and 6).
To get you set for these games we've provided a quick preview/recap of the game. Obviously, the Penguins won each game. Having watched these games in full for the "first time" myself, I listed my biggest takeaways and surprises from the retro games. Some of these observations may jog your memory, and some may come into clarity for the first time - those moments that only hindsight can really bring into focus.
Enjoy!

SETUP: The Penguins split the trip to Minnesota, which meant that the series was tied at 2-2 with Game 5 taking place in Pittsburgh. The Penguins knew the historical significance of a Game 5 win and how that led to the likely probability of winning the Cup. Regardless of the odds, Pittsburgh did not want to return to Minnesota with their playoff hopes on the brink of elimination.
SUMMARY: Game 5 was similar to Game 4 in many ways. The Penguins jumped out to a huge early lead only to watch Minnesota claw back to within a goal. The Penguins skated to a 4-0 advantage on goals from Mario Lemieux, Kevin Stevens and Mark Recchi (2). But the Penguins watched 4-0 and 5-2 leads evaporate to a 5-4 edge in the third period. The Penguins, though, managed to hold on for a 6-4 victory and were one win away from drinking from the holiest chalice in the hockey world.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
FIRST PERIOD
\Mario Lemieux was feeling himself early. He created a couple great chances in the opening minutes with linemates Mark Recchi and Kevin Stevens/Phil Bourque. On his following shift he nearly set up Recchi on a 2-on-1. He hustled behind the net for Recchi's rebound and was cross-checked in the lower back by Brian Glynn, drawing a penalty. You could see the anger in Lemieux's eyes. He was fired up. The North Stars would pay.
\GOAL! LEMIEUX! Finish what you start. After drawing the penalty Lemieux would finish it with a goal with just two seconds remaining on the man-advantage. Larry Murphy missed the net with a shot. Lemieux, with his long reach, was able to locate, corral and tuck the puck into the net from just inside the post. There's only a handful of guys that can pull off that play. Lemieux is one of the few, if not the only. The Stars knocked the net off as the puck was crossing the line, but the referee let the goal stand.
\GOAL! STEVENS! Another power-play goal for Pittsburgh. Paul Coffey's pass attempt missed Stevens and sailed into the end boards. The puck kicked out right to a streaking Stevens, who split the Minnesota D, in the slot and he buried it.
It looked like Jon Casey thought this was going to be an icing call, not realizing Stevens had outpaced the Stars defensemen. He put his arm up and seemed stunned to see Stevens as he turned his head.
\The Penguins power play had scored a total of two goals in the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final combined. They already had two goals in the opening 10 minutes of Game 5.
\GOAL! RECCHI! Lemieux, with eyes in the back of his head, makes a blind, backhand pass to Recchi, who is able to swat the puck on his backhand and lift it over Casey's glove.
\Minnesota takes a timeout after the Recchi goal. The crowd gave the Penguins a standing ovation for the entire duration. They followed that by serenading Casey with his own surname.
\GOAL! RECCHI x2! Lemieux nudged the puck to Recchi in the lower circle. Casey dropped to his knees and Recchi went high glove. It's 4-0 Pittsburgh at 13:41 of the opening period.
\The North Stars end Casey's night after allowing four goals on 13 shots. Brian Hayward would finish the game for Minnesota.
\Basil McRae bull-rushes Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso behind the net. McRae didn't even slow down and leveled Barrasso. Ron Francis jumped at McRae immediately. Barrasso, shockingly, got up and skated away. Maybe the first time I've ever seen him show restraint and poise. Minutes later on the same scrum, McRae headbutted Stevens with his helmet. Not a great sequence for Basil. But…
\Goal. Neal Broten got Minnesota on the board with a shorthanded tally. Maybe McRea's ploy worked. Barrasso was more rattled than originally anticipated.
\The Penguins finish the first period with a 4-1 lead and 17-8 shot advantage.
SECOND PERIOD
\Apparently the hit on Barrasso did some lasting damage as he did not return for the second period with a groin pull. Frank Pietrangelo took over in goal and would finish the game. It was the battle of the backup goalies.
*Side note: One of my first writing assignments with the Penguins was on Frankie.
Here it is
. Don't judge me.
And also, I know "The Save" was like four series ago, but without there is no Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final for Pittsburgh. So let's relive it one more time.

\Goal. Dave Gagner. A second shorthanded goal for Minnesota made it a 4-2 game.
\Lemieux with a shorthanded breakaway and is ROBBED by Hayward with the glove. Not gonna lie, I thought that was an automatic goal. I'm surprised 66 didn't juke Hayward out of his skates. Wonder if he felt pressure from behind.
\Stew Gavin hit the crossbar. For a team with a 4-2 lead, the Penguins were playing very loose. I mean, VERY loose. I know they have a two-goal lead, but they went with a YOLO approach.
\GOAL! FRANCIS! Late in the second period (3:34 left) Francis made it a 5-2 game. He showed some speed to track down a puck and streak down the far side. Francis ripped a shot into the far corner.

\Bourque got penalized for using an illegal stick. When is the last time you saw someone get penalized for an illegal stick? When's the last time you saw someone even challenge for an illegal stick? It was a desperate move by Minnesota, but paid off with a power play.
\The Penguins PK with another superb effort. Lemieux on two occasions lifted the stick of a puck carrier to steal the puck and clear it himself. The Big Guy does it all.
THIRD PERIOD
\Goal. Ulf Dahlen. He pounced on a rebound just 1:36 into the third period to make it 5-3. Man, no leads were safe in the early 90s.
\This sequence made me laugh out loud. After Pietrangelo covered the puck for a whistle, Gaetan Duchesne and Lemieux shoved each other in the crease. Then Lemieux hit him with a couple "come at me bro" head fakes. Possibly baiting Duchesne into taking a penalty. It didn't work, but was hilarious to watch.
*Jaromir Jagr showed flashes of his future. The 19-year-old rookie used his speed to split defenders for a shot. Retrieved his own rebound and used his strength and body to shield the puck while using the defender as a bookbag. And the play ended with him getting crosschecked to the ice and no penalty called. So yea, flashes of the future.

\Goal. Brian Propp. It's a 5-4 game with 13:06 left to play. The Penguins blew a 4-1 lead in Minnesota in Game 4, but held on for a 5-3 win. Would history repeat itself? Yes, it would. But bear with me.
\What an exciting final eight minutes in this game. Just open-ice, back-and-forth visuals. Breakaways. Odd-man rushes. In a one-goal game, Stanley Cup Final no less. That would not fly these days.
\GOAL! LONEY! The Penguins add some insurance, 6-4, with 1:39 left. Loney drove to the net when Larry Murphy unleashed a shot. Loney was knocking Hayward over (with some help from Broten). Hayward made the save, but the puck went off of Hayward, off of Broten, off of Loney, and in.
\Penguins fans with another exuberant countdown of the final five seconds. And with that, the Pittsburgh Penguins were one win away from claiming the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.