In Evgeni Malkin's absence, Sidney Crosby leads Penguins past Maple Leafs
The Penguins were missing another vital component of their roster Tuesday.
Forward Evgeni Malkin briefly participated in warmups before leaving the ice. He ended up being scratched because of illness.
His teammates, as has been the case for the bulk of this season, picked up the slack in the absence of one of the franchise’s least replaceable players and dispatched the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-2.
“Just different guys stepping up,” forward Sidney Crosby said before the game when asked how his team has been so resolute through so many maladies this season. “Guys that have been thrown into bigger roles and opportunities, they’ve made the most of them. It’s been different things, but all through the lineup, everybody’s found a way to contribute.”
On Tuesday, the guys who stepped up included one who hadn’t scored a goal in a few weeks, a rookie who had never scored in the NHL before Tuesday as well as a recent trade acquisition.
And their captain.
Crosby collected four points (one goal, three assists) and drove his team to a victory that pushed it ahead of the idle Washington Capitals for first place of the Metropolitan Division with 80 points.
“He was making some big plays out there,” forward Bryan Rust said. “He is who he is for a reason. We try not to take that for granted.”
“He’s one of those guys that just has vision, he can see the play or anticipate the play two or three passes in advance,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We always talk as a coaching staff that Sid plays chess when some of the other guys are playing checkers.”
Early in this contest, Crosby looked like Garry Kasparov jumping all over a white pawn at F4. The Penguins struck 11:41 into regulation when Crosby fed a laser-precise pass from the left circle to the right of the crease, setting a power-play goal for Rust. It was Rust’s 23rd goal of the season and his first in six games.
They made it a 2-0 game at 17:03 thanks to Malkin’s replacement in the lineup, rookie forward Anthony Angello. He directed a wrister by Sam Lafferty, his occasional linemate with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, through goaltender Frederik Andersen’s five hole for his first career goal.
Malkin’s illness ‘caught us all off guard’ according to Sullivan. But it gave Angello a chance to prove what he could offer after three consecutive games as a healthy scratch.
“I said (to Angello), ‘Sometimes you play your best games.’” Sullivan rehashed. “Then sure enough, he goes out and scores a goal.”
They got another power-play goal 2:52 into the second period after Crosby utilized another crossing pass in front of the crease to set up Zucker for his 17th goal of the season and his third since joining the Penguins on Feb. 10.
Crosby scored his 12th goal on a power play at 7:11 of the second. From the right wing, forward Patric Hornqvist dealt a pass to the left of the cage where Crosby buried the shot.
“I was a little nervous,” Crosby said. (Hornqvist) made a great play. I was just trying to make it I stopped it at the net. Got to put that one in. That was a perfect pass he made.”
After the Maple Leafs’ unsuccessful efforts to capitalize on a five-on-three power-play opportunity that lasted a robust 1:19, Andersen misplayed a puck behind his own cage, turning it over to a forechecking Rust, who dealt it to a trailing Crosby. Drawing Andersen out of the crease, Crosby veered to the left of the cage and fed it back to Rust. From the right of the net, Rust tapped a pass to the slot for forward Teddy Blueger, who netted his ninth goal at the 12:35 mark of the second.
The Maple Leafs got on the scoreboard at 16:35 of the second when forward Auston Matthews netted his 43rd goal then followed up only 86 seconds later with forward Kyle Clifford’s seventh goal.
After that, there was little evidence the Maple Leafs would be able to threaten goaltender Tristan Jarry further. He finished with 34 saves to earn his 20th victory.
The Penguins earned their 37th win thanks largely to Crosby practicing what he preached.
“He’s obviously been the leader been the leader of this team for a long time,” forward Jared McCann said. “A guy who has always stepped up in key situations. He did it again tonight.”
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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