Marc-Andre Fleury responds after allowing late 1st-period goal

DENVER — Marc-Andre Fleury has turned more than a few would-be goals into spectacular saves this season.

On Tuesday, in Game 5 of the Golden Knights’ series against the Colorado Avalanche, he did the opposite. Fleury gave up a go-ahead goal to left wing Brandon Saad from 50 feet away with 1.8 seconds remaining in the first period.

It was a crushing goal that could have sunk the team. But Fleury and the Knights rallied for a 3-2 overtime win at Ball Arena and lead the best-of-seven West Division final 3-2. Game 6 is Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.

The Vezina Trophy finalist played a crucial role in the victory. He stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced after the Saad goal to earn his 88th playoff win, tied for the fourth-most in NHL history. He also got his 12th career playoff overtime victory, which ranks third among active goaltenders.

“We wanted to help him out,” right wing Alex Tuch said. “He’s bailed us out all year long, and I know that he wanted that first goal back. We wouldn’t be able to win unless we scored a goal anyway.”

The Avalanche scored first after Saad corralled the puck at the red line with five seconds left in the first period. He faked a shot in the offensive zone before cutting to the left circle and firing toward the net.

From 50 feet away, Fleury reached across his body with his glove to try to snag the puck and move it to the opposite side of the ice. But the shot carried above his right shoulder and into the net. He threw back his head as soon as he saw where the puck landed.

“I felt bad, you know?” Fleury said. “That was a tough one. … I just wanted to do my best to keep the game close. I always believe with this group we can come back into games, and we did in a big way tonight.”

The Knights trailed 2-0 in the second period, but Tuch said Fleury was the reason the deficit didn’t grow any larger. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar also credited Fleury for making some “big saves.”

Fleury turned away center Tyson Jost’s five-hole shot and stopped a wraparound try from left wing Alex Newhook in the second period. He also turned away another chance by Jost in front in the third and made two saves on left wing Gabriel Landeskog and center J.T. Compher in overtime.

It was a resilient performance that kept Fleury’s team alive in the game. And, because of that, the Knights are in control of the series.

“You knew he would (respond), and you knew the group would play for him,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “He’s bailed us out a number of occasions this year when we made mistakes. I had no doubt after that that he was going to be lights-out and that our group was going to be lights-out for him.”

Here are three more takeaways from the win:

1. Tuch breaks the ice

Tuch’s fourth goal of the playoffs came at a crucial time.

The team trailed 2-0 early in the third period before he deflected a puck to himself and batted it out of the air past Colorado goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

It was Tuch’s 19th playoff goal with the Knights in 59 games. The team is 15-1 when he scores in the postseason.

“I think he’d been a little bit snakebitten, but he’s been getting his chances,” captain Mark Stone said. “A different-style goal, but that was a huge goal for us a minute into the third period. … It’s kind of a bobbling puck, and Tuchy just makes a skilled play. A big guy with great hands makes an awesome play and really started it for us.”

2. Pietrangelo plays well

The Knights’ $8.8 million free agent signing this offseason looked well worth his price tag.

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo had one of his best games of the playoffs and got an assist on Stone’s game-winning goal. Pietrangelo finished with seven shots on goal, four more than anyone else on the team.

The Knights outscored Colorado 2-1 when he was on the ice at five-on-five.

3. Overtime stats

Stone’s game-winner 50 seconds into the extra session was the fastest goal a Knights player has scored in a playoff overtime.

He was the fifth player in team history to score an OT goal. The others are Tuch, center Erik Haula, center William Karlsson and right wing Reilly Smith.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.