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The Pittsburgh Penguins remain alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers despite going down 3-0 to begin the first-round series.
Game 6 is set for puck drop in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, and there’s no need to explain the importance for both sides. Either way, Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One,” has loved everything about this series.
“Boy, this has been really good hockey. It’s fast, it’s physical, there’s a lot of skill. It’s been enjoyable to watch. It’s great for hockey,” Gretzky said on the “Game Notes” podcast.
But many didn’t believe we’d see a Game 6 in this series after how the Flyers dominated the Penguins in the first three matchups. However, Gretzky warns anyone still believing the Flyers will eventually close this out to never doubt a Sidney Crosby-led Penguins squad.
“You never count Crosby out, right? Even at 3-0, if there’s one team that has the ability to come back, my goodness, [the Penguins] have so much firepower with him and [Evgeni] Malkin. They made a goaltending change, and it seems to have perked the team.”
The first three games saw Stuart Skinner in net for Pittsburgh, but head coach Dan Muse decided to give Arturs Silovs the nod in a win-or-go-home Game 4, among other line changes.
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The Latvian netminder has been nails for the Penguins, while the offense has found its way for the team with their backs against the wall.
That isn’t to say Gretzky doesn’t like what he’s seen on the other bench.
The Flyers, one of the youngest teams in the NHL, had to go on a run just to make it into the playoffs. They caught fire at just the right time, and that momentum resulted in a dominant start to the series.
“Philly is playing with a lot of guts and energy,” Gretzky explained. “I talked to one of the [NHL’s] coaches in the last 10 games of the season, and they played Philly. He said it was one of the hardest teams they had to play against. They just play the right way. They finish checks, they play with energy. I really like their goaltender. I think he’s a solid netminder. Playoff time, you got to have goaltending, man, or you don’t have a chance.
“So, gosh, this is such a big game for a young team like Philly. It’s going to be exciting to watch.”
What seemed like a quick ending in the first round has turned into a thrilling Game 6, with Crosby’s Penguins looking to do everything they can to get it back to Pittsburgh for a decisive Game 7.
Gretzky knows Crosby is telling his teammates what he needs to get them in the right frame of mind for a raucous Philly crowd on Wednesday night.
“It’s really difficult, especially if you get down 3-0 and the fourth game is on the road. That’s tough,” Gretzky said. “It takes leadership and experience to understand, listen, you gotta win four games. It’s all cliches, and I know everybody says the right thing. But ultimately, you got to have that confidence to win one game.
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“So, you win Game 4 and you’re saying on the plane ride home, ‘Listen, we’re back in this. We’re going home. Our building. Let’s win Game 5.’ Then, all the momentum switches to us and all the pressure sort of goes to the Flyers. Obviously, Sid’s been one of the greatest captains ever during his time in Pittsburgh.”
Crosby, the three-time Stanley Cup champion during his future Hall of Fame career in Pittsburgh, has tallied a point in each of the last three games against the Flyers. He had two assists in the 3-2 victory in Game 5, while scoring his first Stanley Cup Playoffs goal since 2022 in Game 4.
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