Sidney Crosby Guides Flyers Vs Penguins Into Game 6 Push
Flyers vs Penguins shifts to Game 6 on Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with Pittsburgh trying to erase a 3-0 hole after winning the past two games. A Penguins win would send the Eastern Conference First Round back to Pittsburgh for Game 7 on Saturday.
Crosby and Karlsson Lead Pittsburgh
Sidney Crosby had one point in the first three games and four points in the past two games, while Kris Letang scored the winning goal in each of the past two games. Rickard Rakell added two points in the past two games, giving Pittsburgh the kind of top-end production it lacked while dropping the first three games.
Erik Karlsson said the group is treating the matchup one game at a time: “We've given ourselves a chance, and it feels like the same thing applies for tonight,” he said before Game 6. He also said, “We've just had the mindset to try to win a game, and it's served us pretty well.”
Flyers Protect 3-2 Lead
Philadelphia enters with a 3-2 series lead and a third chance to close out the series and advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flyers last advanced by beating the Montreal Canadiens in six games in the 2020 Eastern Conference First Round, and they have not lost three straight games since a four-game slide from Jan. 26-31.
Cam York said the Flyers are still confident. “We've got a 3-2 series lead against these guys. We knew it was going to be hard. They've played a really good last couple games. They've amped up their level of play. Now, it's time that we do the same,” he said before Game 6.
Rare Road to Game 7
The Penguins would become the fifth team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-7 series if they complete the comeback. They would also be the second to do it after starting the series at home; the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team mentioned that pulled off that kind of rally, and Pittsburgh would be the 11th team to reach a Game 7 after losing the first three games.
Rick Tocchet said Philadelphia knows the standard has to rise. “They know they've got to play better in the sense of I don't want to say the word desperation, but I think there is a little bit more there to be an impact player, getting inside or making a play up top,” he said. “Little things like converting on a 2-on-1, things like that. They know it, and they've done it for all year for us.”
Crosby said the Penguins have kept their focus narrow. “I don't think we've thought ahead to what that means. I think it's a matter of just focusing on the game and putting all your energy towards that, and that's basically how we've took it,” he said. One game now decides whether Pittsburgh keeps playing or turns the series into a Saturday winner-take-all.
