Sidney Crosby calls out Penguins’ weakness in Game 2 loss to Flyers

The highly anticipated return of the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup Playoffs has not at all gone according to plan for Sidney Crosby and company.

Not only did the Pens lose both games of the Battle of Pennsylvania at home, they managed to score just two total goals, and were shut out by Dan Vladar and the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night at PPG Paints Arena.

Crosby points to one place the team absolutely needs to be better if they hope to climb back into the first-round series on the road.

“Our power play’s got to be better,” he said after Game 2, per team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. “When we get opportunities, you get momentum or ultimately score, we’ve got to find ways to generate a little more from that. I think just finding a way to bury those ones in front and then making sure we’re better on the (power play).”

Pittsburgh is 0-for-7 with the man advantage through two games, which isn’t a recipe for any kind of success in the playoffs. Despite a 24.1 percent success rate in the regular season, which was seventh in the NHL, the team has struggled to produce shots, managing only three in two games.

But despite a brutal couple of showings at home, Crosby believes the Penguins can turn this series around.

“I think we’ve been in some tough spots all year. We’ve always responded really well to adversity,” said the captain. “It seems like it’s brought out the best in all of us. I think that getting on the road and having a situation like this hopefully brings out the best in us again here.

“Playoffs aren’t easy. That’s the way it is sometimes. Doesn’t always go your way and especially here at home, would have liked to get at least one but obviously both. It didn’t happen, so we’ve got to find a way to regroup and be better for Game 3 and get the next one.”

Game 3 is a virtual must-win for Pittsburgh, and it’s going to come at a raucous Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Puck is set to drop just past 7:00 p.m. ET in the Flyers’ first home playoff game since 2019-20.

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