Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 Notebook: Leino Admits to Flyer Nerves

FanHouse's Christopher Botta and A.J. Perez provide news and notes from Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

-- Even after 21 playoff games, forward Ville Leino said nerves may have been a problem for the Philadelphia Flyers.

"We weren't loose enough to make plays when we had and nobody wanted [the[ puck," said Leino, who still picked up three assists in the loss to increase his points total to 19, the third-most by a rookie in the playoffs. "We didn't make plays."

The Flyers fell behind by three goals in the first period en route to a 7-4 loss in Game 5 at the United Center on Sunday. It was the Flyers' first loss after Game 3 in the playoffs.

"It was clearly something," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "I guess if it was nerves, it was nerves. But we got outworked pretty good. We got out-battled."

-- The Flyers were ticked post-game about Dan O'Halloran and Bill McCreary's missed call on a Duncan Keith high-stick that drew blood around the right eye of Daniel Briere. "It's a penalty," said Philadelphia head coach Peter Laviolette. "Possibly a major." Briere needed 10 stitches to close the cut.

-- In the last 20 Stanley Cup Finals that were tied 2-2, the club winning Game 5 has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 14 times (70 percent). The six clubs that successfully overcame a Game 5 loss: the 1950 Detroit Red Wings, 1964 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1971 Montreal Canadiens, 2001 Colorado Avalanche, 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning and 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins.

-- Home-ice advantage continues to rule in this Stanley Cup Final. Home teams are 5-0 for the second consecutive season. In 2009, the home teams won the first six games before the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7. In the 20 years prior to 2009, the home team won the first five games just once, in 2003 when New Jersey defeated Anaheim for the Cup.

Since the best-of-seven format was implemented in 1939, home clubs have won all seven games in the Stanley Cup Final on three occasions, in 1955, 1965 and 2003.

Blackhawks lead series, 3-2
Blackhawks 7, Flyers 4: Recap | Box Score | Series Page

-- There have been 40 goals scored in this series (Chicago 21, Philadelphia 19), the most through the first five games of the Stanley Cup Final since 1981. The New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars combined for 42 goals when the Islanders won the Cup in five games. The five-game total this year is more than the total of any Final, of any length, since the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks scored 40 times in the Rangers' seven-game victory in 1994.

-- Dustin Byfuglien tallied his league-leading fifth game-winning goal of the 2010 playoffs with his power play goal at 15:45 of the second period. Byfuglien also led all players with nine hits and posted a +3 rating.

-- Flyers forward Ville Leino recorded three assists in Game 5 to increase his playoff points total to 19 (seven goals, 12 assists). Leino climbed to third place on the list for most points by a rookie in one playoff year, just two shy of the mark set by Dino Ciccarelli with Minnesota in 1981.

-- For the first time in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Flyers suffered a loss later than Game 3 in a series. Philadelphia finished the postseason 5-7 in Games 1-3 and is now 9-1 in Games 4-7.

-- Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton did not finish the game for the second time in three starts at the United Center in the Final. Still, Peter Laviolette has a tough decision for Game 6 on Wednesday night in Philadelphia. In Chicago, Leighton has a 5.31 GAA and .831 save percentage. But at home, Leighton has a 2.86 GAA and .918 save percentage.