Posted: Tuesday June 9, 2009 11:08PM; Updated: Tuesday June 9, 2009 11:14PM

Staal's moment in sun keeps Pens alive

Jordan Staal (left) celebrates his goal in the second period against the Detroit.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Until now, Jordan Staal's older brother Eric had the biggest goal in this year's Stanley Cup finals.

Not anymore.

Jordan Staal trumped his brother and kept the Pittsburgh Penguins' season alive for one more game.

The 20-year-old forward snapped a scoreless deadlock 51 seconds into the second period Tuesday night and sent the Penguins on their way to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings that forced a seventh game in the Stanley Cup finals.

In the first round of the playoffs, Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes scored the winning goal against New Jersey's Martin Brodeur with 31.7 seconds left in regulation of Game 7. Now Jordan has a goal every bit as impressive to brag about at the family dinner table.

Jordan Staal got free at the point in Pittsburgh's defensive zone and raced up ice on a 2-on-1 with teammate Matt Cooke. With only Jonathan Ericsson back on defense for the Red Wings, Staal let go a shot that goalie Chris Osgood stopped with his chest.

Staal got to the rebound and flipped it in to give the Penguins a lead they would never relinquish.

Staal is no stranger to dramatic moments in the finals. His short-handed tally in Game 4 rallied the Penguins into a 2-2 tie and provided the spark for a three-goal outburst in a span of 5:37 in the second period.

The Penguins went on to win 4-2 and avoided dropping into a 3-1 series hole that would have been nearly impossible to overcome.

Their task still isn't easy. The Game 6 win extended the series to a final game, but it will be played in Detroit. The home team has won every game in this series.

Pittsburgh went 9-2 at home in the playoffs to get to this point.

However, the Penguins have been outscored 11-2 -- including a 5-0 defeat Saturday in Game 5 -- at Joe Louis Arena in three losses during this series, and the Red Wings are 11-1 at their rink in the postseason.

The Penguins went 1-2 there a year ago in the finals. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby hasn't scored a goal in Detroit in the six games during the two championship rounds.