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Penguins force seventh game

Pittsburgh wins 3-2 after a late Mario Lemieux goal sends play into overtime.

©Associated Press

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 9, 2001

PITTSBURGH -- Martin Straka scored the winner in overtime after Mario Lemieux's dramatic goal with 1:18 left in regulation kept Pittsburgh's season alive, as the Penguins beat Buffalo 3-2 Tuesday night to force a seventh game.

The Sabres, less than 90 seconds from reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in four years, now must win Game 7 Thursday in Buffalo to keep their season going.

Straka's goal at 11:29 was his second in overtime in the playoffs. He won the decisive Game 6 of the first round against Washington with an overtime goal -- the last home game Pittsburgh won before its come-from-behind victory Tuesday.

Robert Lang banged Dimitri Kalinin off the puck along the rear boards and threw the puck out front to Straka, who buried it past Dominik Hasek for his third of the playoffs. It prevented Pittsburgh's third consecutive second-round elimination in a Game 6 at home.

The Sabres lost in overtime for the first time in these playoffs after beating Philadelphia twice in the first round and Pittsburgh in Game 5.

Thursday's winner will play the Game 7 winner between New Jersey and Toronto in the conference final.

Donald Audette put Buffalo ahead 2-1 at 16:12 of the second period, and Hasek, trying to steal a game for the first time in the series, almost made it hold up.

But with the Penguins' season ticking away, Lemieux, who hadn't scored since the opening goal of Game 1, tied it with one of the most dramatic playoff goals of his career 1:18 before the game would have ended.

Only 15 seconds after goalie Johan Hedberg was pulled to give Pittsburgh an extra attacker, Alexei Kovalev's shot rebounded high into the air off Chris Gratton's skate and landed near the goal crease.

Lemieux, at the left of the net, whacked at the puck once, then twice, finally sliding it by Hasek for his sixth goal of the playoffs and extending a season that seemed to be all but over.

Despite allowing that goal, Hasek played his best game of the series, holding off a succession of early Pittsburgh scoring chances to allow Buffalo to take a 1-0 lead on Maxim Afinogenov's goal at 9:26 of the first.

Afinogenov, off for hooking, skated out of the penalty box and directly to a puck kicked his way by Steve Heinze, who had lost his stick. Afinogenov drove in alone on a breakaway, faked to his backhand only to stay with his forehand, and beat Hedberg for his second of the playoffs.

Kovalev tied it at 5:14 of the second.

Lemieux's goal turned around what had been a tough night for the Hall of Famer, whose unexpected midseason comeback made him the first player-owner in modern pro sports history and was the NHL's story of the season.

Lemieux twice went crashing to the ice, delaying play each time. He was helped off the ice after being struck in the face by Vaclav Varada's stick late in the second period, but he returned to take the third period faceoff.

Lemieux also stayed down for about 90 seconds after being hooked to the ice on a good scoring chance 28 seconds into the game. He returned for his next shift.

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