Friday night was a relatively quiet night for the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, but still had a couple of huge developments. One team staved off elimination for at least one more game, while another became the first postseason combatant to advance.
In the first game of the evening, the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Philadelphia Flyers. The Pens had won on Wednesday night to avoid being swept and on Friday night won their second straight, by a final score of 3-2. Pittsburgh still trails in the series, three games to two, but now at least have a realistic fighting chance. Jordan Staal netted his sixth goal of the postseason, but the true star of the game was Marc-Andre Fleury, who saved 24 of 26 Philadelphia shots on goal.
In the second game on the slate, the Nashville Predators hosted the Detroit Red Wings, who entered the game down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. Ultimately, the Predators proved to be the better team, clinching the series on home ice and advancing by a final score of 2-1. David Legwand hit the eventual winner to break a 1-1 tie just 13 seconds into the third period.
For complete coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NHL hub.
