Sidney Crosby leads Penguins past Rangers to boost faint playoff hopes

It would be foolish to suspect the Penguins have anything resembling a good chance at qualifying for the upcoming postseason.

It would also be foolish to assume captain Sidney Crosby won’t drag this flawed team as far as he can as long as he can.

Such was the case on Monday – April Fools’ Day – as Crosby collected two goals as well as an assist and directed the Penguins to a surprising 5-2 victory against the powerful New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Crosby’s second goal, an empty net score late in regulation, ensured he would finish the regular season with a point-per-game scoring average for the 19th consecutive season, tying a mark initially established by the great Wayne Gretzky.

“It’s remarkable for him to perform at an elite level for as long as he has,″ Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to the Associated Press in New York. ”His body of work speaks for itself. All of these milestones that he’s reaching is evidence that he’s one of the greatest players of all time.”

Monday’s victory came despite at least two members of the Penguins’ active roster being unavailable due to undisclosed illnesses as announced by the team’s X social media account: projected starting goaltender Tristan Jarry and rookie defenseman John Ludvig.

Because of Jarry’s absence, the Penguins were only able to dress a lineup of 19 players with backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic starting his fifth consecutive game.

Having primarily been deployed as of late due to Jarry’s struggles on the ice, Nedeljkovic stopped 28 of 30 shots on Monday to boost his record to 13-6-6.

“We knew it was going to be a tough test,” Nedeljkovic said to the AP. “That’s a really good hockey team over there. They had a lot to play for but so do we. We’re fighting for points and the guys did a great job.”

With a win Monday, the Penguins (33-30-11, 77 points) moved back within five points for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, currently held by the Washington Capitals (36-27-10, 82 points). Meanwhile, third place in the Metropolitan Division is currently occupied by the Philadelphia Flyers (36-29-11, 83 points).

“We know the circumstances,” Crosby said to the AP. “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. You’ve got to find ways, whatever you have to do to get wins. That was a great team win.”

Crosby and company got to work off the opening faceoff as the Penguins scored only 18 seconds into regulation.

From the initial draw of the game at center ice, Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba tried to initiate an offensive rush from his own left circle but forced a pass that hit off the left skate of pressuring Penguins forward Reilly Smith. Claiming the puck, Smith pushed play up the left wing boards into the near corner. From there, Smith slid a pass to the left circle for a wide-open Crosby, who ripped a one-timer on net. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin made the initial save with his glove but allowed a rebound. Penguins forward Bryan Rust was in the right place at the right time and cleaned up the loose puck in the slot with a backhander past Shesterkin’s left skate for his 25th goal of the season. Crosby and Smith had assists.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Bryan Rust with 19:42 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Sidney Crosby and Reilly Smith.

New York: 0
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsNYR #NYR #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/UCgzTP4drI

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 1, 2024

Crosby’s 36th goal came at 10:39 of the first period.

Chasing down a loose puck in the left corner of the Rangers’ zone, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang claimed it and fed a pass to his defensive partner, P.O Joseph, at the left point. Maneuvering a bit to the high slot, Joseph snapped a wrister toward the cage. Cruising between the right hashmarks, Crosby deflected the puck with the forehand side of his stick blade by the glove of Shesterkin on the near side. Joseph and Letang logged assists.

Fun fact: Sidney Crosby is currently the only active player in the NHL with 100+ points against at least three franchises (Flyers, Islanders, and Rangers). pic.twitter.com/DMAaTCro7e

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 1, 2024

The Rangers issued a coach’s challenge, claiming the sequence to be offsides but officials found no evidence of malfeasance by the visitors and issued a delay of game penalty to the hosts.

An unlikely source put the Penguins up by a field goal when forward Emil Bemstrom – a healthy scratch in the previous three games – scored his seventh goal on a breakaway 9:51 into the third period.

After Rangers rookie forward Will Cuylle was pressured into a turnover just inside the offensive blue line by a poke check from Penguins rookie defenseman Jack St. Ivany, Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi backhand jabbed the puck to the neutral zone, springing Bemstrom on an immediate breakaway. With no resistance, Bemstrom glided in on net and lifted a wrister by Shesterkin’s glove. The lone assist went to Puljujarvi.

BREAKAWAY BEAUTY BY BEMSTROM ???? pic.twitter.com/11R3dSDenH

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 2, 2024

Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko got his team on the scoreboard only 51 seconds later via his 12th goal.

Off an offensive zone turnover by Rust, Rangers forward Artemi Panarin initiated transition and gained the Penguins’ zone on the left wing. Pumping the brakes a bit on the left half-wall, Panarin offloaded the puck to the high slot for trailing Rangers defenseman Adam Fox. Looking to his right, Fox slid a pass to the lower right circle where Kakko chopped a one-timer from a bad angle. Nedeljkovic appeared to make a difficult save and officials initially ruled the play dead but a review revealed the puck had crossed the goal line while in Nedeljkovic’s glove. Fox and Panarin acquired assists.

pic.twitter.com/PayU5aKFwT

— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) April 2, 2024

It was a one-goal game once again at 16:53 via Rangers forward Jack Roslovic’s eighth goal.

Settling a bouncing puck off a rebound of his own pass attempt at the left point of the offensive zone, Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad gloved the puck and whacked a slapper at the cage that was deflected wide on the near side. The rebound clunked off the end boards and bounced to right of the cage. From along the goal line, Roslovic chucked a wrister from a bad angle by Nedejlkovic’s glove on the near side. Zibanejad had the only assist.

pic.twitter.com/wS76UN621N

— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) April 2, 2024

Rust euthanized any hopes of a comeback with a goal on an empty net at 17:21 of the third frame. Forward Jeff Carter and Letang claimed assists.

Empty net goal for Pittsburgh!

Scored by Bryan Rust with 02:11 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Jeff Carter and Kris Letang.

New York: 2
Pittsburgh: 4#PITvsNYR #NYR #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/nKgXly8FdT

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 2, 2024

Crosby poured it on with another empty net goal for his 82nd point of the season at the 19:15 mark. There were no assists.

Empty net goal for Pittsburgh!

Scored by Sidney Crosby with 00:45 remaining in the 3rd period.

New York: 2
Pittsburgh: 5#PITvsNYR #NYR #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/ynpxMnZExo

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 2, 2024

Notes:

• Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves (concussion) and forward Sam Poulin (presumably healthy) were scratched.

• With Ludvig absent, defenseman Ryan Shea replaced him in the lineup and appeared in his first NHL game since Dec. 8. In a pair of paper transactions, the Penguins shuffled Shea between their NHL and American Hockey League rosters on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

• Carter (98 points) surpassed forward Conor Sheary (97) for 97th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• In 85 career games against the Rangers, Crosby has 108 points (40 goals, 68 assists).

• In 30 career games against the Penguins, Panarin has 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists).

• Former Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel was a healthy scratch for the Rangers.