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“Got to continue to play the same way”- Sidney Crosby on Penguins moving into playoffs spot after 5-4 Win over Lightning
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins continue their march toward securing a playoff spot. They moved one step closer by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.
"I think what we have to do hasn't changed for a while now," Crosby said. "We just got to continue to go a game at a time here. That’s served us really well. I think that approach has got us to this point, and given us success. So, we just got to continue to play the same way."
The Penguins are 4-0-1 in their last five games, featuring victories over division rivals the Washington Capitals and the division-leading New York Rangers. Their consistent effort has finally landed the Pens in a playoff spot.
But if you ask Crosby, the team hasn’t changed their approach. The team has continued to play the same way since October. The difference is that now their consistency has paid off.
The Pens have spent much of the year outside the playoff picture. But now, they’ve managed to leapfrog the Capitals and bump the surprising Philadelphia Flyers out of the playoff hunt, at least for now.
Crosby, 36, knows the road ahead is not easy.
"We knew it was going to be an uphill climb," he added.
It seems Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are getting close to the top of that hill.
Sidney Crosby and Penguins are still in this fight
The Penguins never lost hope.
"We’re still in this fight," forward Marcus Petterson said.
These comments speak volumes of the Penguins’ determination to make the playoffs. In Crosby’s words:
"It’s desperation."
Following humbling losses to the Capitals (6-0) and the Edmonton Oilers (4-0), the team went into desperation mode. A 7-4 defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers could have been the turning point.
"Took a lot out of our guys," coach Mike Sullivan said.
Since that defeat, the Pens have rolled off 10 wins in their last 11 games to get back into the hunt. At this rate, the Penguins could be one of the most dangerous teams in the first round of the playoffs. The stage may be set for a playoff upset.
As it stands, the Penguins are likely to face off against the Boston Bruins. With the momentum Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have at the moment, the Bruins could become victims of this year’s biggest playoff upset.
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