Penguins vs. Flyers Game 4: Key takeaways as Sidney Crosby comes alive to extend series
PHILADELPHIA — The Pittsburgh Penguins are nonetheless alive, they usually have a few their legends to thank for extending their first-round series with the Philadelphia Flyers to a Game 5.
Sidney Crosby scored a power-play objective and added an help, whereas Kris Letang’s third-period blast was the sport winner in a 4-2 victory over the Flyers, who failed of their try at a series sweep.
After Garnet Hathaway and Erik Karlsson got coincidental minors at 3:45 of the third interval, the groups skated four-on-four. Crosby kicked the puck to Letang on the level, and the defenseman walked to the excessive slot earlier than ripping a shot previous Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar at 4:27 to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead.
The Flyers rapidly responded when Travis Konecny swiped in a shot from the circle at 7:03 of the third, however Penguins goalie Artūrs Šilovs — making his first begin of the series — made 28 saves to report the win.
Crosby’s power-play objective at 14:24 opened the scoring. The Penguins upped their lead to 2-0 on a present from Vladar to Rickard Rakell, who pressured the Flyers’ goalie right into a turnover behind the online.
Denver Barkey’s first profession playoff objective at 15:40 of the second interval lastly acquired the Flyers on the board.
After Konecny made it 3-2, Penguins fourth-liner Connor Dewar picked up an empty-netter to seal the win, 4-2.
“It’s only one, but I think it gives us some life,” Crosby stated after the sport. “I think that looked more like our game. And, you know, 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. Obviously, going home, it doesn’t get any easier. And, you know, with every game in 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.”
Game 5 is in Pittsburgh on Monday. Here’s what we noticed in Game 4:
Crosby units the tone
Perhaps Crosby had heard sufficient.
The Penguins captain had been taunted relentlessly in Philadelphia in Games 3 and 4, and a billboard with him mendacity on the ice stands alongside a Philadelphia freeway. Crosby entered Saturday with solely an help in three video games in opposition to the crew he routinely tortures.
Crosby lastly acquired on the board together with his first objective of the playoffs, and it was a singular objective for him. With the Penguins within the early seconds of an influence play, Crosby took a feed from Karlsson whereas skating backward into the higher slot and fired a shot previous Vladar.
Crosby made a sensational play within the third interval, kicking the puck to Letang after which clearing the entrance of the online, giving Letang the room he wanted to make it 3-1 Pittsburgh.
“It’s all those little details sometimes,” Letang stated of Crosby. “It’s not the crazy play or the passes. Finding a guy back post sometimes, it’s little details, like, picking the guy giving me a lot of time to pick my shot was an amazing play. So it just shows you how much IQ he has on the ice and, you know, what to do at every moment in every situation.”
Sidney Crosby, left, and Artūrs Šilovs had been the 2 largest causes the Penguins received Game 4. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Šilovs shock
Very few folks within the Penguins’ group anticipated Šilovs to get the beginning in Game 4. Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse, nevertheless, threw a curveball on the Flyers.
The Penguins protected their goalie very properly within the early going, permitting just one shot by 10 minutes. Starting early within the second interval, nevertheless, the Flyers discovered themselves on one odd-man rush after one other, partially due to their aggressive method and partially as a result of the Penguins’ trademark sloppiness began to chew them. Šilovs denied the Flyers on 5 odd-man rushes within the second interval and was saved by the crossbar on one other event.
On an evening the Penguins weren’t good defensively, Šilovs held up as nicely as probably may have been anticipated, stopping 28 of 30 photographs.
“He played great,” Muse stated. “Big saves. I’m really happy for him. We’ve gone back and forth (between Šilovs and Stuart Skinner) basically all season. We get to the playoffs. The way he handled it (not playing in the first three games) — the professionalism. I’m happy for him.”
Added Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea: “Artie was awesome. He’s a really good goaltender. We all know it.”
Vladar performs, makes key error
There was some uncertainty whether or not Vladar would play after he had back-to-back “maintenance days” Thursday and Friday. Vladar appeared to injure his proper arm late in Game 3 after Bryan Rust bumped into him, though he stayed in web to shut out the win.
But there was Vladar at Saturday’s morning skate, wanting no worse for put on. He was declared the starter by coach Rick Tocchet quickly after.
Vladar’s misplay in the beginning of the second interval, although, was pricey. He struggled to management a dump-in by Rust behind the online and was pressured right into a turnover by Rakell, who dived on the unfastened puck as it squirted out in entrance of the online and curled it over the road. That gave the Penguins their first multi-goal lead of the series.
Vladar stopped 17 of 20 photographs in Game 4.
Penguins’ power-play woes proceed
The Penguins’ energy play scored within the first interval Saturday and 3 times whole within the final two video games. You might take that as an indication that the Penguins are taking part in nicely with the person benefit. They usually are not.
On a second-period energy play, the Penguins allowed three odd-man rushes in opposition to. They allowed two extra on an influence play later that interval.
All of the Penguins’ finest gamers had been the culprits. Crosby was responsible of permitting a mini-breakaway. So was Letang. Karlsson additionally made a careless mistake that despatched the Flyers within the different path.
It’s been an infinite downside for the Penguins relationship to March. The teaching workers shouldn’t be to blame: This has been an issue for a few years, and the Penguins’ finest gamers bear accountability.
Flyers’ missed alternatives
After a pair of power-play objectives in Game 3, the Flyers’ energy play reverted to the way it appeared for a lot of the common season, when it was final within the league. Their first energy play, halfway by the primary interval whereas trailing 1-0, was downright ugly, whereas their second, later within the opening body, wasn’t a lot better.
They appeared extra harmful after a too-many-men minor on the Penguins at 5:31 of the second, however Parker Wotherspoon’s stick prevented Tyson Foerster from popping within the rebound of a Porter Martone shot with 13:55 left within the body on what was their finest alternative.
