The Pittsburgh Penguins have no choice but to win three straight games after finding themselves in a three games to one series deficit against the in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While they were able to stave off elimination with a 4-2 win over the Flyers on the road to get the snowball rolling, they still face a daunting task of becoming just the third team since 2010 to pull off a reverse sweep after initially trailing three games to none in a postseason series.
However, their task may have gotten all the more difficult thanks to an injury to captain Sidney Crosby in the second period of Monday’s Game 5 in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Was Injured After Blocking A Shot
During the second period of play at PPG Paints Arena, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who already missed multiple weeks earlier in the season because of an injury sustained during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, was hurt when he was struck by a shot from teammate Ryan Shea.
Crosby, who was in the face-off circle, immediately fell down to the ice and made his way toward the bench, and departed right away for the dressing room, all while being unable to put his full weight on his leg.
While Crosby missed multiple shifts, the good news for the Penguins is that he managed to return to the game, and even picked up an assist on longtime teammate Kris Letang’s go-ahead goal late in the second period.
So far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Crosby scored a goal while adding three assists. The Flyers had somehow managed to keep him off the scoresheet for the first three games of the series, all Philadelphia victories, before he got the monkey off his back on Saturday.
Sidney Crosby Injury Scare Had Penguins Fans Holding Their Breath