Canadiens-Penguins: David Brings Goliath To The Limit.

Monday at the Bell centre, one of the most intense and entertaining game of these 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs was disputed between the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins were looking to finish off the Canadiens in six games but their plans were cut short by a determined team who refused to lose.

Michael Cammalleri opened the score early into the contest with a blistering shot that did not gave a chance to goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. But the defending champions tied the game up at 1 before the end of the first frame when Sidney Crosby batted a rebound behind Jaroslav Halak. It was Crosby's first goal of the series.

The Penguins took the lead during the second period when Halak dropped Kristopher Letang's shot. Already a fifth goal in the series for Letang who always seems to find the right time to score.

But this very exciting second period was far from over. Michael Cammalleri injected some more energy to the crowd with his second goal of the evening, tying the score at 2. Then Jaroslav Spacek gave the lead to Montreal with a shot from the blue line. The defensemen could not find a better time to end his 51-game scoreless streak.

In the third period, Maxim Lapierre gave some breathing room to the home team on a brillant individual effort. Lapierre controlled the puck at will and skated towards the front of the net unchallenged and did not miss such a glorious chance.

Bill Guerin brought Pittsburgh within one goal with less than two minutes to play when he deflected a shot from the blue line. But it was too little, too late for the defending champions who will now have to face this Cinderella team once more Thursday evening.


Final score: Montreal Canadiens 4 - Pittsburgh Penguins 3 (The series is tied at 3-3.)

With a victory in this ultimate face-off on Thursday, the Canadiens would not only eliminate the champions, they would also write the last page of the Mellon arena's history book. After winning the very first game disputed at the Mellon, the Canadiens can now win the very last game played in the old Igloo.

Can David defeat Goliath Thursday?

(Picture: Maxim Lapierre, Canadian Press.)