Crosby’s creative assist helps Penguins to Game 4 win that avoids sweep against Flyers

PHILADELPHIA – Sidney Crosby used his feet and some ingenuity from 21 seasons of NHL experience to help the Pittsburgh Penguins stay alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Crosby scored a first period power-play goal to get the Penguins the lead and then kicked the puck to Kris Letang for the winning goal in a 4-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.

With the win, the Penguins avoided being swept by their Pennsylvania rivals and forced Game 5 of the best-of-7 series at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Monday (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, NBCSP, ESPN, SN, TVAS).

“It's only one, but I think it gives us some life,” Crosby said. “I think that looked more like our game. It's probably taken us three games to look like ourselves a bit, so I think that's something that we can definitely build on.”

It took a group effort for the Penguins to get their first win of the series. Other standouts included Rickard Rakell, who also had a goal and an assist, and rookie goalie Arturs Silovs, who made 28 saves in his first appearance of the series after Stuart Skinner started the first three games.

But, not surprisingly, Crosby led the way.

Playing the Flyers in the playoffs usually brings out the best in the Penguins captain, particularly the hostile environment at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The 38-year-old’s 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 13 career playoff games in Philadelphia are the most by any visiting player.

He was limited to one point – an assist on Evgeni Malkin’s power-play goal in the first period of Game 3 – in the first three games, though. So, it seemed he was overdue to break out Saturday.

“We get that effort every day, whether it's practice or a game, so it's pretty special,” Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea said. “And that's our leader, so when he's going, it ignites the whole group and that's kind of what he did tonight. We know he's going to bring it. It's just the rest of the team; we’ve got to bring it as well and follow in his footsteps.”

Booed and heckled with derogatory chants throughout by the Flyers fans, Crosby got the Penguins the start they needed and a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 14:24 of the first period. After winning the left circle face-off from Luke Glendening back to defenseman Erik Karlsson at the left point, Crosby took a return pass from Karlsson and whipped a shot from the left circle that went in off goalie Dan Vladar’s glove for his first goal of the series.

That was Crosby’s 16th career playoff goal against the Flyers, moving him ahead of Wayne Gretzky (15) and Malkin (15) for the most against them.

“I thought just getting that first one helped us for sure, but they still pushed,” Crosby said. “They still generated some chances. But I thought between (Silovs) and defending well, and getting timely goals, (Rakell’s) goal to get a two-goal lead was big. We haven't played with the lead a ton, so it was nice to have that.”

Rakell made it 2-0 at 1:03 of the second period when he stole the puck from Vladar behind the net after a dump-in by Bryan Rust and tucked it in a vacated net from behind the goal line for his first goal of the series. Denver Barkey scored at 15:40 of the second period, though, to bring Philadelphia within 2-1 heading into the third.

The score was still 2-1 when Karlsson (roughing) and Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway (elbowing) were assessed minor penalties for their exchange during a scrum along the boards 3:45 into the third. That set up the 4-on-4 situation that led to Letang’s goal that increased Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-1 at 4:27.

With the puck stuck along the left-wing boards in a four-person battle between Crosby and Rakell and Flyers forwards Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak, Crosby reached in with his right foot to dig it free before also using his right foot to kick the puck back to Letang at the left point.

Crosby then headed toward the front of the net, shielding defenseman Jamie Drysdale while providing a screen for Letang, who skated into the high slot before letting go a slap shot that beat Vladar to the blocker side for his first goal of the series.

“It's all the little details,” Letang said of Crosby. “Sometimes it's not the crazy play or like the pass that’s finding the guy back post. Sometimes it's little details like picking the guy and giving me a lot of time to pick my shot. It was an amazing play, so it just shows you how much IQ he has on the ice, and he knows what to do at every moment in every situation.”

That proved to be the game-winning goal after Konecny got the Flyers back within 3-2 on a one-timer from the right circle that went in over Silovs’ left shoulder at 7:03. The Penguins played solid defense in front of Silovs after that, though, and Connor Dewar scored a clinching empty-net goal with 57 seconds left to assure them of playing at least one more game in the series.

“Obviously, going home it doesn't get any easier,” Crosby said. “With every game of the series, it's more difficult. But we've got some life, and we've got to take advantage of the opportunity of going back home now.”