Mark Spector

DETROIT -

Hockey fans were hoping for a classic. And after falling behind three games to one in the Stanley Cup finals, the Pittsburgh Penguins were craving a series that would go down in the annals as something special.

The Detroit Red Wings? Not so much.

They were 35 seconds away from popping the corks on a Stanley Cup celebration Monday night at Joe Louis Arena, their crowd chanting “We want the Cup! We want the Cup!”

Well, just as we didn’t know whether the goal that Maxime Talbot scored with 35 seconds to play was going to prove particularly memorable, we’re still not sure that a Game 5, triple overtime thriller will mean that much, considering that the Red Wings could polish off the Penguins in Game 6 back at Mellon Arena on Wednesday.

But for now, this series has “historic” written all over it, with two high-octane clubs officially in full battle over the trophy that means everything to the sticks and ice set assembled here.

The game that kept this series afloat was the fifth longest finals game in NHL history, a 109 minute, 57 seconds affair that fell only minutes short of the longest game, a 115:13 affair at the old Boston Garden in 1990 and ended by Edmonton’s Petr Klima. This one was capped by another guy who is missing a vowel, as Petr Sykora sniped the winner on a power play in the third overtime. The Joe Louis Arena scoreboard at 12:46 a.m.: Penguins 4, Red Wings 3.

These are the things that great playoff series are constructed of; the moments hockey people will talk about for years on down the line.

Sykora’s winner was exciting — an OT winner always is, especially when it silences 20,000-plus at one of hockey’s proudest arenas. But to be preceded by Talbot’s goal, when the Cup was shined and ready for presentation to Nicklas Lidstrom, who is not yet the first European captain ever to hoist the old bowl?

You want history?

The Penguins become the first team in more than 70 years to escape being eliminated from a Cup finals by scoring in the final minute of the third period. The only time it has ever happened before was so long ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs were in the playoffs — in Game 3 of the ‘36 finals against Detroit.

Pep Kelly scored to force OT, which was by won the Leafs. They lost the ‘36 series though — a fate the Penguins hope they can avoid.

In this one Talbot scored — the very player Therrien had sent over the boards as the extra attacker when Fleury came rushing to the bench.

“It’s a feeling,” Therrien shrugged. “Coaches got feelings sometimes. It’s rare — it doesn’t work all the time. But I love Talbot’s game.”

Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury simply stole one for his team, making 55 saves in a performance for the ages. It was the most saves by a netminder in the Stanley Cup finals in 10 years (Washington's Olaf Kolzig vs. Detroit).

“I thought he had some help,” said Detroit coach Mike Babcock. “I hated to see Pete Sykora get that puck late. You know it’s going in.”

“I missed a one-timer right before, by 20 feet,” Sykora said. “It was a lucky play, because it hit the ref [Dan O’Halloran] and went back behind the net to Gino [Evgeni Malkin].

“I was frustrated the last few games. Nothing was going for me — no bounces, no shots on net. You know, now we get to live another day.”

With a series now going back to Pittsburgh, can these two teams come up with any more drama than this?

“We have a game on game going right now,” said Pens defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who came back from injury to set up the game-winner by Sykora. “I think we didn't really look ahead. When we go back, we don't have anything to lose. We can hopefully bring it back to Detroit.”

The game lasted four hours and 30 minutes, ending at 12:46 a.m. What kind of toll will that take? We won’t know until Wednesday’s morning skate.

“When you get to that point, you just worry about small steps,” said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who had two assists. “Just get it out of your zone, into the neutral zone. It doesn’t feel like 200 feet to get it down [to the other team’s net]. It feels like a football field. It’s just a grind. You’ve got to talk yourself into getting as much out of yourself as you can.”

And then talk that effort out of yourself again, two nights later. That is why the Stanley Cup is the most grueling trophy to win.

Two tickets to Pittsburgh, please.

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