Crosby scores 41st, loses 2 front teeth
BUFFALO, N.Y. — After losing a pair of front teeth, Sidney Crosby wasn’t available to discuss the highlight-reel, one-handed goal he scored in helping the Pittsburgh Penguins clinch their 11th consecutive playoff berth.
Crosby’s teammates had plenty to say about it following the defending Stanley Cup champions’ 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
Starting from inside his blue line, Crosby picked up a head of steam through the neutral zone and weaved past all four Sabres defenders before lifting a one-handed backhander into the top right corner to open the scoring with nine seconds left in the first period.
“The play that everyone screws around doing in practice, and he does it in games,” Nick Bonino said.
“The sea parted for him there, only 15 second left, and he turned it on,” Bonino added. “I mean, there’s nothing I can really say that nobody has. He does some pretty amazing things.”
Even Sabres goalie Robin Lehner was left impressed.
“I think most goalies in the league are going to read he’s going to pull that back to his forehand,” said Lehner, who stopped 31 shots. “Probably one or maybe two guys in the league who can score a goal like that.”
Crosby was not in a position to speak after being high-sticked in the face by Evander Kane with 1:25 remaining while attempting to score into an empty net. Crosby went down in the corner clutching his face before eventually getting up and leaving the ice.
Coach Mike Sullivan would only say Crosby lost a couple of teeth. Kane was issued a double-minor for high-sticking.
Early in the first period, Crosby got away with a slash from behind in which he struck Buffalo forward Ryan O’Reilly between the legs.
Bonino scored the go-ahead goal on a broken play with 5:29 remaining and Conor Sheary scored 1:58 later. Matt Murray stopped 29 shots and the Penguins (46-17-9) improved to 8-1-1 in their past 10.
With 101 points, Pittsburgh vaulted ahead of Columbus into second place in the Metropolitan Division and remained a point behind the NHL-leading Washington Capitals, who defeated Calgary 4-2.
Injuries continued to mount for the Penguins, who are already playing without seven regulars, including four defensemen and center Evgeni Malkin, who missed his third game with an upper-body injury.
Forward Jake Guentzel sustained a concussion about nine minutes in when he was blindsided by defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who was issued a five-minute major and ejected for interference. Guentzel was crossing his own blue line when he lost the puck and turned his head just as Ristolainen hit him.
“I don’t like the fact that he got ejected,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said of losing his top defenseman. “It’s an unfortunate hit.”
Sam Reinhart scored for a Sabres team that’s sputtering on offense. Coming off a 2-1 win at Detroit on Monday, Buffalo has just five goals in regulation in its past five games.
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