Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are no longer in control of their fate.
They beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Monday night to keep their playoff hopes alive but they were stuck as helpless observers on Tuesday.
A win by either the Detroit Red Wings or Washington Capitals in their final game of the season would officially eliminate the Penguins before they even get a chance to play their finale against the New York Islanders on Wednesday.
Sidney Crosby with the diving effort for the goal 👏 pic.twitter.com/6NGoSa0nmE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 15, 2024
"For us and for how hard we've worked to get ourselves back in the picture here, I'm hoping that we find a way to make that a meaningful game," Crosby told reporters on Monday. "That would be great. We've worked pretty hard to get ourselves in this position and give ourselves a chance so hopefully we get that opportunity."
The Penguins were well back in the Eastern Conference wildcard race a few weeks ago after a March slump. They only won three of 14 games during the skid and were all but written off. But Crosby put the Penguins on his back, leading them to wins in seven of their past 10 to give them a new life.
"It's been something special, especially these last couple of weeks," Pittsburgh goalie Alex Nedeljkovic said about Crosby in a media session. "Watching him play, he's a man on a mission. It's not surprising."
Sidney Crosby is doing it ALL. pic.twitter.com/wMiXrKYzqE
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 14, 2024
So here's how it all lined up on Tuesday. The Penguins, Capitals, Red Wings and Flyers all had one game left but Washington and Detroit have one more point than Pittsburgh and two more than Philadelphia.
The Red Wings and Canadiens were scheduled to play in Montreal on Tuesday, while the Capitals and Flyers were going head to head in Philadelphia.
"It's been like this for a while where we've had to go into every game to grab points and move on," Crosby said. "Obviously, we need some help, but given the position we were in a few weeks ago, I think we would have taken this opportunity. So hopefully, we get some help. All we can do is control being ready to play and finding a way to win another one."
"He's a special player and an even more special person. He's leading this team right now. I think we're all just kind of getting in line behind him."
- Crosby's linemate Bryan Rust
Crosby had a goal and an assist in the win over the Predators to give him 92 points on the season. The goal was his 42nd of the year, which is the third-highest total of his career and his best since 2016-17 when he scored 44. His career high is 51 goals from 2009-10.
"It's been a heck of a ride playing with him for as long as I have," linemate Bryan Rust said in a media session. "He's a special player and an even more special person. He's leading this team right now. I think we're all just kind of getting in line behind him."
