PITTSBURGH (AP) — The moment perfectly captured what Pittsburgh’s entire season has looked like.
Sidney Crosby was hobbling toward the tunnel during Monday night’s Game 5 matchup with Philadelphia, his left knee aching from taking a hard shot fired by his own teammate Ryan Shea from the blue line.
While Pittsburgh’s veteran leader was getting treatment in the locker room, Philadelphia managed to even the score. What had been a game largely dominated by the Penguins suddenly shifted momentum. The inexperienced Flyers, many playing their first playoff series, began to take control. It appeared Pittsburgh’s remarkable season might end with a swift postseason departure.
Then Crosby’s recognizable No. 87 jersey appeared back on the bench. Moments later, he was back on the ice. Before long, he was setting up a play by sending the puck to Pittsburgh defender Kris Letang at the edge of Philadelphia’s defensive zone.
Crosby wasn’t watching when Letang’s seemingly harmless shot from the point missed wide of the Philadelphia goal. Flyers netminder Dan Vladar was positioned for a big rebound that never materialized.
Instead, the puck bounced off Vladar’s left leg, then his right, before slowly crossing the goal line for what became the decisive score in Pittsburgh’s 3-2 win that staved off elimination and likely planted some uncertainty in Philadelphia’s minds. The Flyers’ once-commanding 3-0 series advantage doesn’t seem quite as secure following Pittsburgh’s victory.
Wednesday’s Game 6 takes place in Philadelphia, where the Penguins will arrive carrying both momentum and confidence in their undisputed captain, who appeared to rediscover his championship form after a surprisingly quiet series start.
Apart from his brief medical timeout, Crosby was a constant presence. He set up Connor Dewar’s second-period goal, earned another primary assist on Letang’s second consecutive game-winning goal, and nearly scored himself when his desperate attempt at an empty net in the closing minutes hit the left goalpost.
Age 38 seemed irrelevant on Monday night as Crosby delivered a classic performance.
“When things get hard and your back is against the wall, there is no doubt in my mind that he’s going to lead the charge in terms of elevating and finding a way to do everything possible to help us win this game,” first-year Penguins coach Dan Muse said.
Throughout his career, Crosby has accumulated 21 points across 24 elimination games. His 100th career playoff victory resembled all the others, featuring Crosby contributing across all areas of the game, including absorbing a painful blow to his knee before returning as though nothing occurred.
“I feel good,” he said. “I mean, that’s stuff that happens sometimes and you try to go to the front of the net and it’s just one of those ones that found its way. Sometimes they hit you, sometimes they go by.”
Crosby took a direct blow from his own teammate’s shot and immediately recovered. This resilience has defined Pittsburgh’s unexpected season, consistently finding ways to recover just when circumstances appeared to be deteriorating.
Their current comeback attempt would surpass all previous achievements by a considerable margin. The statistics remain challenging — only four teams in history have recovered from a 3-0 series deficit — but the odds have improved since Game 4 began.
Crosby welcomes those chances, as does his entire team.
“I think the last couple games we found our stride a bit,” he said. “We should feel good about that … we’re playing good hockey and we’ve got to go in there and find a way to win again.”
