With a fortunate bounce and a flawless goalie, the Vancouver Canucks are heading back to Boston with the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time.

Maxim Lapierre scored on a carom off the back boards with 15:25 to play, Roberto Luongo stopped 31 shots in a stirring shutout after getting pulled from his last game, and the Canucks moved to the brink of their first NHL championship with a 1-0 victory over Boston in Game 5 on Friday night, taking a 3-2 series lead.

Luongo posted his fourth shutout of the playoffs and second of the Stanley Cup finals after giving up 12 goals in less than four periods during two blowout losses in Boston.

Game 6 is Monday night in Boston.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) _ Roberto Luongo has made 21 saves and the Vancouver Canucks have survived four straight Boston power plays for a scoreless tie through two periods in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals Friday night.

The series is tied 2-2.

Luongo, ventilated for 12 goals in a pair of lopsided losses in Boston and pulled from Game 4 on Wednesday night, got a break when Chris Kelly hit the crossbar over his shoulder on a 2-on-1 rush 4 minutes in. But there was nothing lucky about Luongo's redirection stop on Milan Lucic and rebound stop on Patrice Bergeron alone in front with 5 minutes left in the period.

Tim Thomas, coming off his third shutout of the playoffs, made 12 of his 18 saves in the second period and hasn't been beaten in 106:07 dating to Game 3. He gave up just five goals in the first four games.

Thomas, 9-1 in the playoffs when facing more than 35 shots, was busier in the second period after a slow first highlighted by a blocker save on Mason Raymond 5:29 in. Thomas made a great rebound save off Chris Higgins in the slot midway through the second, and got a break when Tanner Glass fanned on a wide-open net during a wild scramble with 7 minutes left in the period.

Both teams won their first two home games, but the Bruins seemed to have all the momentum coming into Game 5 after two dominant performances at home.

Instead, the Canucks, who were outhit badly in Boston, set the early physical tone in front of a raucous, towel-waving sellout crowd. But they got carried away at times, with three penalties for overaggressive hits that forced the penalty killers, led by Luongo, to bail them out.

Boston, which came into the series struggling on the power play before scoring three times the first four games, got another chance early in the second when Ryan Kesler was whistled for a questionable goalie-interference call after hitting Thomas high with his stick while tangled up with Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. But the Bruins only managed two shots before it was the Canucks turn to struggle on consecutive power plays.

Vancouver, which came into the Cup finals clicking at over 28 percent on the power play, only managed two shots on each advantage and is now 1-for-24 with the extra attacker against Boston.

The Bruins are seeking their first title since 1972, and the Canucks _ celebrating their 40th anniversary _ have never won the championship.

The team that won Game 5 of a tied series has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 71 percent of the time _ 15 of 21 series _ in finals history. Three of the six exceptions have come in the last decade _ the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning, and 2001 Colorado Avalanche.

Vancouver came in with five straight wins at home, a streak that dates to May 7 and includes late victories in the first two games of the finals.

The Bruins have lost four straight on the road, but appeared to be control of the Cup finals after convincing wins back in Boston. They had dominated since losing top-line winger Nathan Horton to the late, high hit from defenseman Aaron Rome that knocked him out early in Game 3 _ and ended Rome's playoffs with an ensuing four-game suspension. They outscored the Canucks 12-1 in the two games in Boston, with most of the damage coming in the second period.

The Canucks shook up their defense again, dressing 21-year-old rookie Chris Tanev ahead of $4.2-million-a-season veteran Keith Ballard. Ballard struggled in his finals debut in Game 4 in place of the suspended Rome, who had moved into the top four after No. 1 defenseman Dan Hamhuis was hurt in Game 1.

Game 6 is Monday night in Boston.