Before Monday’s overtime period, it had been a while since Sidney Crosby had found the back of the net. His last goal came in Game 4 of Pittsburgh’s first round series against the New York Rangers. Yup, it had been that long.
In typical Crosby fashion, the Pens captain waited for the biggest moment to get off the schneid.
“Just happy,” said Crosby when asked how he felt after he scored. “Whether I scored in the last seven games or hadn’t scored in the last whatever, it feels good to get rewarded. I think we deserved the win tonight. To be in the playoffs here, it’s a great opportunity, and to score and contribute, it feels good.”
Believe it or not, Crosby’s OT goal in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final was the first playoff overtime goal of his NHL career (he did score a fairly significant one at the Olympics in 2010).
That was Sidney Crosby's first playoff OT winner. Fun fact: Mario Lemieux never had one.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 17, 2016
Pens head coach Mike Sullivan believes that Crosby scoring the winner could help give his team some momentum going forward.
“I think it’s a big boost for Sid. I think it’s a big boost for our team,” Sullivan said after Game 2. “Obviously, this is an important win for us to even the series. But I thought it was a collective effort. The whole group, I thought, played extremely well. But, obviously, when Sid gets an OT winner like that in that fashion, I think it’s a big boost for our team.”
Now, if only they could get Evgeni Malkin going.