Crosby (and Bunting) Are Dragging the Penguins to An Unlikely Playoff Spot Sidney Crosby [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1NjE3MzQ5NjkxMTg4NzY1/usatsi_22976220.jpg] Sidney Crosby Sidney Crosby's lips were swollen and bruised blue as he spoke to reporters following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. But the reason why the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to pick up the extra point had more to do with an equipment malfunction than any of the abuse that the team's captain received in a "hard-fought game." Crosby, who was dealing with a skate issue, was unable to start the overtime period. By the time the issue was rectified, the Leafs already had possession. And for the next 90 seconds, Crosby watched in frustration — his leg dangling over the boards in hopes of getting on the ice — as his teammates were unable to clear the zone and complete the line change. "That’s overtime," said Crosby. "They got possession later on in the shift and got a change in there and got some fresh guys. We were out there for a minute and we couldn’t get possession." The Leafs, who were able to make a line change, eventually scored when Auston Matthews set up defenseman Jake McCabe for the winning goal. It was the Penguins' 12th loss this year in either overtime or the shootout — tying them for fourth-most in the NHL this season. That is a lot of points left on the table. Part of the reason for that has been inability to control possession in 3-on-3 hockey. Of course, it's difficult to have the puck when Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and some of the Penguins' best players were sitting on the bench in favor of Lars Eller and Drew O'Connor. "That’s one of the challenges of overtime," said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. "Quite honestly, it’s something we talked about in doing a better job with our possession. And putting other teams in that circumstance more. And we haven’t done a good job with that as a group. "Line changes are a critical part of overtime. On the offensive side, teams are trying to hang onto the puck, not allow you to change, outchange you and then eventually take advantage of a tired group." The Penguins still managed to pick up a crucial point in the standings, tying them with the Red Wings for the final wild-card spot with four games remaining. "It was a pretty tight game," said Crosby. "We competed and we found a way to get a point … It’s a close game, it could have gone either way. We would’ve liked to have got the extra one, but we can’t go back now. "We’ll look at this as an important point down the road." It didn't come easy. Crosby, who leads the Penguins with 86 points in 78 games, spent the night as though he were skating around with a giant target on his back. In the second period alone, he received a baseball-type slash to the mouth from Bobby McMann, was upended into the Leafs net by McCabe — which dislodged his skate blade — and shortly after collided with Auston Matthews while neither had the puck. "It was tough. I think it was three in a row," said Crosby, who was seen screaming at the refs for the amount of abuse he received. "It was a weird play, I don’t know if his stick got me or not, to be honest with you. It felt like it did on the follow-through. But they break it down frame by frame, so I guess he didn’t. I probably should have just got off after that." It's a good thing Crosby didn't leave the game. In the third period, the Penguins captain won a puck battle deep in the Leafs' end and eventually set up the game-tying goal by O'Connor. Still, not having Crosby available for the start of the overtime might have cost the Penguins a point that they desperately could have used at this time of year. "It doesn’t surprise me. He’s just a competitor," Sullivan said of Crosby. "There’s no other way to put it. He’s a fierce competitor. He wants to win. At this time of year, he gets more excited about playing hockey than anybody. And he wants to continue to play hockey. He’s doing everything in his power to drag us into the playoffs."
