PITTSBURGH -- It took less than a minute for Sidney Crosby to remind the 18,605 fans in attendance at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night that he was the best hockey player in the world. With his Pittsburgh Penguins deadlocked at two games apiece in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final with the Nashville Predators, he owned the make-or-break Game 5 from the opening faceoff.
Just like that, Crosby may have shifted the momentum of a series that appeared to be rolling in Nashville's favor. The three-assist night gave him 20 career points in the Cup Final, passing Mario Lemieux for the franchise's all-time mark.