Sidney Crosby delivers his take on Penguins' crushing 7-0 defeat against Toronto Maple Leafs

By Raja Chandrasekaran

Modified Dec 17, 2023 05:50 GMT

The Penguins suffered a severe blow, facing one of their worst losses in recent history against the Maple Leafs, marking Sidney Crosbys' biggest shutout defeat era. Despite a hard fought shootout victory on Wednesday night in Montreal, the fatigued Penguins failed to carry the same resilience to Saturday evening in Toronto. Their slow start saw them fall to a 7-0 defeat against the Maple Leafs.

Despite Auston Matthews, who tops the NHL with 23 goals in 27 games, being a late scratch due to illness, the Leafs responded in his absence, securing a 3-0 lead in the first period.

Top-line forwards Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner contributed goals, while Bobby McMahon celebrated his first NHL career goal.

The Leafs added another early in the second leading Alex Nedeljkovic replacing Tristan Jarry in goal.

Subsequently, the Penguins found themselves in penalty trouble, with Kris Letang receiving a holding minor to prevent a scoring chance and a 10-minute minor after the whistle.

Toronto swiftly capitalized on the power play, converting within the first 20 seconds and securing another advantage goal later in the period.

Pittsburgh's penalty kill, currently missing key players Bryan Rust (upper body), Noel Acciari (lower body), and Matt Nieto (lower body), exhibited both successes and challenges.

Later, two more goals were given up, yet the primary concern arose from the physical intensity of the game. In summary, the Penguins made the night too comfortable for Toronto's highly skilled lineup, even without their star player.

After the game, Sidney Crosby conveyed his thoughts to Michelle Crechiolo, Penguins Team Reporter, about the loss. He stated:

“I mean, you can’t chase the game against them,” Sidney Crosby said. “You give them room and open up, and you’re going to pay. So, I thought we got behind there and then tried to force things to get back in it, and that’s what happens.”

Here is what head coach Mike Sullivan has to say;

“Well, I’ll certainly dissect it. I'm not sure quite yet how I'll respond to it. You know, it's a humbling experience. We didn't perform to our expectations, and it's disappointing. We're all in this thing together. We got to figure it out.”

Highlight of the recent setbacks the Penguins' faced in games

The Pittsburgh Penguins have recently grappled with a series of noteworthy losses.

Against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they faced a setback despite entering the game with a five game point streak, encountering difficulties on the power play and struggling at 5-0-5, leading to another defeat.

Furthermore, the team endured their fourth consecutive loss to the Panthers, letting go of a 3-1 lead as the Panthers secured a win regulation.

How Sidney Crosby performed in 2023-24 NHL Season?

In the 2023-24 NHL season, Sidney Crosby, the key player for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has delivered an impressive performance.

Noteworthy highlights include Crosby's achievement of 17 goals, 14 assists, placing him tied for 4th in goals, tied for 71st in assists, and tied for 24th in points.

Crosby's two goal and one assist performace against the Montreal Canadiens, contributed to the Penguins' 4-3 shootout victory. This outstanding display has propelled Crosby to a tie with former teammate Mark Recchi for 13th place on the NHL's all time points list.

Should the Pittsburgh Penguins secure a postseason berth, much credit will be owed to Sidney Crosby.