Crosby's history against Flyers could spark Penguins in Game 2

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby has a complicated relationship with Pennsylvania. 

In Pittsburgh, nestled in the foothills of the southwestern portion of the commonwealth, the 38-year-old center is a hero. He has won the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017) with its Pittsburgh Penguins.

About 300 miles east, in the sprawling metropolis of Philadelphia, Crosby is public enemy No. 1. He has victimized its Philadelphia Flyers since entering the NHL in 2005. 

On Monday, the surroundings will be kind to Crosby and the Penguins, the No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan Division, at home in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PPG Paints Arena (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, NBCSP, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360) against the Flyers, the No. 3 seed from the Metropolitan. 

It’s the perfect backdrop for a rebound from a 3-2 loss in Game 1 before the best-of-7 series heads to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. 

“You’ve got to turn the page in any game, win or lose. They’re probably saying the same thing,” Crosby told NHL.com on Sunday. “You try to get the next one and have momentum going there.” 

Crosby’s done it before. The Flyers, and their fans, know that. He has 139 points (60 goals, 79 assists) in 93 games against them, including 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 24 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs -- the most postseason points by any player against Philadelphia. 

“Regardless of who you play, everyone’s got a game plan,” Crosby said. “You’ve got to go out there and execute it. So, I don't get too caught up in who it is. You just try to worry about what you have to do to be successful and trust that. I think that’s probably the biggest aspect.” 

To defenseman Kris Letang, Crosby is an equal opportunist. He’d do the same to any other team. It just so happens the Flyers are often in the way. 

“I mean, he’s one of the best players in the world,” Letang said. “Any team you put in front of him, he’s going to try to do everything he can to make his team win. The more adversity, he usually thrives more. That’s why he’s so good.” 

Those claims are easy to prove. 

In 2008, Crosby had five points (two goals, three assists) in the first three games to go up 3-0 in his first series against Philadelphia, but was called for two of Pittsburgh’s four penalties in a 4-2 Game 4 loss in the Eastern Conference Final. He responded with the primary assist on two of the first three goals in a 6-0 win in Game 5, reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time. 

A year later, Crosby took two penalties and was a minus-2 in Game 5 of the quarterfinals, losing 3-0 at home to the Flyers. Then, the Penguins fell behind 3-0 in Game 6 on the road. Crosby went on to score two of their five straight goals in a 5-3 series-clinching win.

Crosby had a hat trick in Game 1 of the 2018 first round before being held to two shots on goal in a 5-1 Game 2 loss that tied the series with it turning to Philadelphia. He came back with six combined points (two goals, four assists) to win the next two games on the road, and had one goal and two assists in an 8-5 win to eliminate the Flyers in Game 6. 

“It’s playoff hockey,” Crosby said. “In a series, you’ve got to try to get better with every game, no matter how it goes. ... You have to learn from it and get ready for the next one.” 

On Saturday, Crosby was a minus-1 with three shots on goal and four penalty minutes. Based on history, that won’t be repeated. 

“I know the kind of competitor he is,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “I’ve seen it, for a long time from afar, just like everybody else has. Now, this past year, I’ve gotten to see it firsthand. Yeah, we didn’t like our first game. We’ve got an opportunity to respond here tomorrow. 

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in him, just like I have a lot of confidence in our group, that we’ll come out and play a better brand of hockey than we did last night.” 

Crosby remains one of the League’s most consistent players. The Penguins captain led them with 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games to extend his NHL record of consecutive seasons averaging at least a point per game to 21. He went without a point in back-to-back games four times with just one stretch of three (Jan. 10-13). 

“It’s unbelievable,” Letang said. “It’s why this organization has had all the success that we have.” 

Crosby had five points (four goals, one assist) in three regular-season games against the Flyers, scoring at least one goal in each as the Penguins went 2-0-1. He had three goals in two games on the road. 

The track record is there. Crosby knows how to score in Philadelphia. He knows how to win there. 

So, either way, the series won’t end in Game 2. But with a home win, Crosby would be better positioned for another signature set of road performances. 

“It’s one of those things where we didn’t execute well and we made a few mistakes,” Crosby said. “That’s the difference in a playoff game. You have to try to limit your mistakes and find ways to create. The games are going to be tight, they’re going to be physical. It’s everything you expected. 

“I’d like to execute a little bit better and create a little more. That’s a big thing. If it is going to be tight-checking like that, then you just have to make sure that you’re opportunistic when you get looks.”