Penguins: Sidney Crosby moves to fifth all-time in playoff points
penguins captain Sidney Crosby made another significant mark on Wednesday in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers, moving to fifth all-time in Stanley Cup Playoff points with a first-period assist. The play gave Crosby his first point of the 2026 playoffs and came as Pittsburgh tried to get back into the Eastern Conference First Round. The Penguins entered the night trailing the Flyers 2-0 after losing both games at home.
Crosby adds another milestone
Crosby’s secondary assist in the opening period pushed him past another elite name in playoff scoring history. He now trails only Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky on the all-time list.
Through 182 career playoff games, Crosby has 71 goals and 131 assists. The latest point also fits the pattern that has followed him throughout his postseason career: when the stakes rise, his production usually rises with them.
The milestone came while the Penguins were searching for a foothold in a series that has already tilted heavily toward Philadelphia. Pittsburgh lost Game 1 and Game 2 at home, leaving little margin for error as the series shifted to Philadelphia for Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Penguins need a response
The Penguins have said the will and determination are there, but the results through two games have not matched that mindset. Defenseman Erik Karlsson said the team must either figure it out or not, adding that the club may be overthinking things rather than playing on instinct.
Sidney Crosby echoed the need for sharper execution, saying the Penguins have had looks around the net but have not capitalized. He pointed to the power play as an area that must improve after Pittsburgh went 0-for-7 with three shots on goal in the series.
That drop-off stands in sharp contrast to the regular season, when the Penguins averaged 3. 54 goals per game, third-best in the NHL, and finished seventh on the power play at 24. 1 percent. In Game 1, Evgeni Malkin scored a tying goal and set up a late Bryan Rust goal, but the Flyers still won 3-2. In Game 2, Pittsburgh managed only two shots on goal in the first period and lost 3-0.
What the series means now
The Penguins were not widely expected to reach this point, then returned to the postseason as the No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan Division. Now they face the pressure of answering after two straight home losses, with Game 3 offering a chance to change the tone of the series.
Crosby, 38, has won the Stanley Cup three times with the Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017, and captured back-to-back Conn Smythe trophies in 2016 and 2017. For Pittsburgh, the next step is simple: turn a historic individual moment into momentum for the team, and keep the Penguins alive in the series.
