PITTSBURGH — In an impressive display of skill and teamwork, Sidney Crosby found the back of the net and registered three assists, matching Mario Lemieux’s franchise record for total assists in Pittsburgh Penguins history. This remarkable performance led the Penguins to a commanding 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
Crosby capped off the evening with a third-period empty-net goal, while also playing a pivotal role in three of Pittsburgh’s four first-period goals, which allowed the team to establish an early 4-1 lead. Both Crosby and Lemieux now hold the franchise record with 1,033 assists, placing them at 12th in NHL history for most assists overall.
Among the highlights for the Penguins, Philip Tomasino converted a power-play opportunity thanks to a backhand pass from Crosby, scoring at 17:44 of the first period to tie Lemieux’s assist mark. The Penguins also saw strong performances from Michael Bunting, who netted two goals, Bryan Rust, who scored his seventh goal in just eight games, and contributions from Rickard Rakell and Blake Lizotte.
Tristan Jarry starred in net, making 23 saves throughout the game.
For the Flyers, Noah Cates continued his scoring streak, netting his fourth goal over four games, while Sean Couturier and Egor Zamula also found the goal for Philadelphia. In terms of goaltending, Samuel Ersson was able to stop nine shots in the first two periods before being replaced by Aleksei Kolosov, who added six saves to the effort.
In terms of team performance, the Flyers had previously shown resilience by scoring four goals in the third period against Columbus over the weekend, but were unable to replicate that comeback against the Penguins. Philadelphia has now dropped four of their last five contests.
The Penguins, on the other hand, showed a strong recovery following a shutout loss to New Jersey on Saturday, where they struggled with just 12 shots on goal. With this win, Pittsburgh improved their record to nine victories in the last 13 games.
A crucial moment in the match occurred when Bunting scored his second goal, providing Pittsburgh with a needed insurance goal as they led 4-3. This goal, which took place in the final minutes of the second period, helped secure the Penguins’ dominance in the third.
In terms of individual statistics, Crosby boasts an impressive record of 56 goals and 133 points across 88 career games against the Flyers, marking the highest total in NHL history against this particular team.
Looking ahead, the Penguins are set to face the Islanders this Saturday, while the Flyers will be visiting the Ducks on the same day.
