Penguins avoid sweep as Sidney Crosby shines in Game 4 win over Flyers

[p]Unlike in Game 3, which saw 25 penalties, this time around only eight total penalties were called, with three in the first and second periods, respectively, and two in the third. [/p][p]Pittsburgh got the win despite being outshot 27-21. They went 1-for-3 on the power play, while killing off all three of Philly's.[/p][p]The series now goes back to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pittsburgh-penguins/AkN0nWU6/"]Pittsburgh[/a] for Game 5 on April 27th. [/p][h2]Recap & Highlights[/h2][p]It took some time to get things going in the first period, but it was Pittsburgh who would get on the board first. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/crosby-sidney/UTbIZpKC/"]Sidney Crosby[/a] scored his first goal of the playoffs to put the Penguins up 1-0 with an assist from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/karlsson-erik/QPyAsZAH/"]Erik Karlsson[/a].[/b][/p][p]The goal marked Crosby's 16th against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-flyers/QySGG7oT/"]Flyers[/a] in the playoffs, surpassing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gretzky-wayne/lGIwJAJ5/"]Wayne Gretzky[/a] and teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/malkin-evgeni/l0fNz1jg/"]Evgeni Malkin[/a] for the most ever. [/p][embed guid="6a0b5f8e-e588-4166-ad4b-62e710a700e6" url="https://x.com/nhl/status/2048203890688995624?s=61" social-type="twitter" /][p]It was also Crosby's 203rd playoff point, surpassing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/edmonton-oilers/Mg0qoxeI/"]Edmonton[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kurri-jari/GEyXR7Da/"]Jari Kurri[/a] for the third most with a single franchise, leaving only Gretzky (252, Edmonton) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messier-mark/rL94ioGr/"]Mark Messier[/a] (215, Edmonton) ahead of him.[/p][p]They are also the only two players ahead of Crosby to factor into (score/assist) more playoff go-ahead goals (Gretzky -115, Messier-88, Crosby-80).[/p][p]Heading into the second period, it wouldn't take the Penguins long at all this time to get on the board again. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rakell-rickard/8SsMqZsT/"]Rickard Rakell[/a] scored his first of the playoffs after Flyers goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vladar-daniel/AqbXiQ8C/"]Dan Vladar[/a] misplayed the puck behind his own net, leaving the Penguins to go up 2-0 just one minute into the period.[/b][/p][embed guid="172a72ce-6482-4e78-a91e-2e1a7878bc78" url="https://x.com/br_openice/status/2048211661882831237?s=61" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Flyers would go on to hold off two Pittsburgh power plays as they finally got on the board with under five minutes left in the second. [/p][p][b]The rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barkey-denver/Y1MQwmVh/"]Denver Barkey[/a] scored his first career playoff goal to cut the Penguins' lead in half, 2-1. [/b][/p][embed guid="3cbad1bf-384f-45ff-b661-795b7b120fdc" url="https://x.com/nhl/status/2048220012259746176?s=61" social-type="twitter" /][p]But the Penguins would make it a two-goal lead once more after the game went into a 4-on-4 just four minutes into the final frame. [/p][p][b]Previous Pittsburgh goal scorers in Crosby and Rakell would both pick up an assist on a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/letang-kris/MojSUVSQ/"]Kris Letang[/a] goal that made it 3-1. [/b][/p][p]The goal marked Letang's 24th of his playoff career and Crosby's 68th multi-point playoff game, sitting third-most all time behind, you guessed it, Gretzky (108) and Messier (77). [/p][embed guid="d2d3eb65-1bc0-4cbe-8c28-5867131f9e76" url="https://x.com/br_openice/status/2048228029411840288?s=61" social-type="twitter" /][p]Two minutes later, the Flyers would get within one yet again. [/p][p][b]This time, it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konecny-travis/dQgX6z2a/"]Travis Konecny[/a], who scored his first of the playoffs, to make it a 3-2 game off the assists from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dvorak-christian/pOcbSnfi/"]Christian Dvorak[/a] (3) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanheim-travis/tALGiUtt/"]Travis Sanheim[/a] (1).[/b][/p][p][b]But it wouldn't be enough after Pittsburgh's Connor Dewar scored on the empty net in the final minute to make it 4-2 with his first career postseason goal.[/b][/p][embed guid="09e0ce34-1eac-41a5-9d3e-28b0225020a2" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzaahWc9_HU" social-type="youtube" /]