Having stumbled through November with a 4-5-3 mark, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed to change something to open December.

They tried to effect change Monday morning by recalling forwards Boko Imama and Rutger McGroarty from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in advance of that evening’s game, a road contest against their most enduring rival, the hated Philadelphia Flyers.

What never seems to change is forward Sidney Crosby’s ability to assault the statistics — and possibly, the self-esteem — of Flyers goaltenders.

Such was the case Monday as a pair of goals by Crosby spurred his team to a 5-1 victory at the venue now called Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Crosby and company went 3 for 4 on the power play in one of the team’s most one-sided wins of the season.

“We were more assertive,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said to reporters in Philadelphia in regard to the power play via audio provided by the team’s media relations department. “When there were plays to be made, we didn’t hesitate.”

Through his first 21 seasons as an NHLer, Crosby has totaled an obscene 137 points (59 goals, 78 assists) in 92 games against the Flyers, including Monday’s entanglement.

“These games, you always know that (there’s) a little bit of intensity, a little bit more to them,” Crosby said of the rivalry with the Flyers. “You just try to prepare accordingly.”

Goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped 28 of 29 shots as his record improved to 8-2-0.

Imama and McGroarty made their season debuts at the NHL level.

Perhaps the organization’s top prospect, McGroarty became the 10th rookie to suit up for the Penguins in 2025-26. Opening the contest on the left wing of the third line, McGroarty had 12:31 of ice time on 17 shifts and two shots on two attempts. He was also 0 for 1 in the faceoff circle.

Imama, largely considered the toughest player in the organization, began the game on the left wing of the fourth line and logged 9:39 of ice time on 11 shifts and had two shots on four attempts.

Crosby opened the scoring 9:18 into regulation with his team-leading 17th goal of the season.

Claiming a rebound off his own right half wall, Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea initiated a rush out of his own zone and fed a centering pass to forward Anthony Mantha. Gaining the offensive zone at the center point, Mantha offloaded the puck to the right wing for Rust, who marched into the top of the near circle and snapped off a wrister to the far side. Goaltender Dan Vladar, at the top of his crease, scrunched his body up to make the save but allowed a rebound to trickle loose to the left of the blue paint. Crosby crashed in, fended off Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae and chopped the loose puck over Vladar’s right leg. Rust and Mantha had assists.

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— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 2, 2025

Flyers forward Tyson Foerster tied the game with his 10th goal during a delayed penalty while working on a five-on-three power-play sequence at 5:36 of the second period.

With plenty of space to operate with, the Flyers crisply moved the puck around the offensive zone before Foerster took a pass high in the left circle. Facing little pressure, Foerster pumped a low wrister along the ice to the far side of the cage that struck off the inside of Jarry’s left skate and deflected into the net. Forwards Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras tallied assists.

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— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 2, 2025

Crosby struck again with a power-play score at 8:08 of the middle frame.

Bursting into the offensive zone on the left wing like a comet, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson cut across the high slot to the right wall and slid a seam pass to the left circle for Rust. Sauntering in toward the crease, Rust slipped a pass to the upper left hashmark for Crosby, who leaned down on his left knee and swatted a one-timer to the far side beyond the glove of a scrambling Vladar. Rust and Karlsson collected assists.

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— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 2, 2025

Rust got in on the act by registering his eighth goal during a power-play scenario at 15:52 of the second.

Controlling the puck off the right half-wall of Philadelphia’s zone, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin fed a pass across the ice to Rust above the left circle. With the Flyers largely defending in a passive fashion, Rust accepted the space he was granted, moved into the circle and utilized Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim as a screen, snapping a far-side wrister past Vladar’s singed glove. Malkin and Karlsson collected assists.

Bryan Rust tonight:

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— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) December 2, 2025

Malkin appeared to score 1:47 into the third period, but the Flyers euthanized those hopes by issuing a successful coach’s challenge on the basis of goaltender interference.

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— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 2, 2025

Penguins forward Tommy Novak got in on the act by notching his third goal, also during a power-play opportunity, at 13:52 in the final frame.

From the center point of the offensive zone, Malkin golfed a slapper. Stationed between the right hashmarks, Novak tried to deflect the puck on net but wound up sending it to the far boards, where Penguins defenseman Kris Letang recovered it. As Flyers forward Owen Tippett applied pressure, Letang deftly fed a blind backhand pass to the left circle for Novak, who turned to his right and lifted a wrister to the far side that glanced off Vladar’s glove and fluttered into the cage. Letang and Malkin merited assists.

Did anyone order a PPG?

*Tommy Novak raises his hand* pic.twitter.com/8edbctoIun

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) December 2, 2025

That was followed by former Flyers forward Kevin Hayes’ second goal at the 15:33 mark.

From the left point of the offensive zone, Flyers defenseman Cam York tried to feed the puck to the near corner for forward Sean Couturier but misfired. The puck wound up rimming to the end boards, where Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon claimed it. Maneuvering toward the right circle, Wotherspoon snapped a stretch pass to the far blue line for Hayes streaking into the offensive zone. With York in hot pursuit, Hayes attacked the cage and fired a backhander past Vladar’s glove. Wotherspoon had the only assist.

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— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 2, 2025

Notes:

• As a condition of a trade between the Flyers and St. Louis Blues on June 27, 2023, the Flyers retained half ($3,571,429) of Hayes’ salary cap hit ($7,142,858) for the remainder of a seven-year contract he signed with Philadelphia in 2019. That contract is scheduled to expire this upcoming offseason.

• Monday’s triumph matched the Penguins’ largest margin of victory this season. They previously claimed a 5-1 home win against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 21.

• After going five games without a point (Nov. 9-22), Rust has pieced together a four-game scoring streak (three goals, three assists) since Nov. 26.

• As mentioned, McGroarty is one of 10 rookies who have suited up for the Penguins this season. That crew includes:

Forwards – Tristan Broz, Filip Hallander, Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen, McGroarty, Sam Poulin

Defensemen – Harrison Brunicke, Owen Pickering

Goaltenders – Sergei Murashov, Arturs Silovs

The franchise record for most rookies in a season of 18 was set by the 1987-88 club. That group included:

Forwards – Brad Aitken, Rob Brown, Jock Callender, Perry Ganchar, Lee Giffin, Steve Gotaas, Mark Kachowski, Dwight Mathiasen, Dave McLlwain, Kevin Stevens, Wayne Van Dorp

Defensemen – Chris Dahlquist, Dave Goertz, Chris Joseph, Patrick Mayer, Zarley Zalapski

Goaltenders – Steve Guenette, Frank Pietrangelo

• Imama set a new career high for ice time by one second. His previous high-water mark of 9:38 came as a member of the Arizona Coyotes in a 6-2 home win against the St. Louis Blues on March 7, 2023.

• Penguins defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Joona Koppanen were healthy scratches

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