Sidney Crosby wasn’t the only star player who came up big in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ eventual 5-4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.
Crosby’s two goals in 43 seconds seemed to drop the gauntlet on other stars for both teams, and they largely responded. It’s almost as if Evgeni Malkin muttered “Um, guys, I’m a pretty big deal too ...” before scoring two goals of his own.
Malkin didn’t just get the game-winner in this contest; he also generated the 300th goal of his already-impressive career with that decisive tally in the third:
Malkin’s milestone night shines brightest in a game that featured some intriguing subplots:
- Jakub Voracek scored two goals of his own, including one on a penalty shot:
- Again, Crosby & Co. managed three goals in about one minute, which ended Steve Mason’s night early.
- The Flyers must be frustrated after dominating chunks of play in response to that flurry.
Philly generated a 29-14 shots on goal edge through the final two periods of Saturday’s game, yet they couldn’t take the next step after tying things up 4-4. Instead, Malkin’s second goal was the only tally of the third period, and the difference in this contest.
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It felt, at times, like one of the Penguins - Flyers playoff series that featured wild scoring and a plethora of plot twists. This time, it was advantage Pittsburgh.