Penguins edge Flyers, cut NHL playoff series deficit to 3-2 - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — After fending off elimination for the second time in 48 hours, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby said his team has found its stride.

«The last couple games we've found our stride a bit, so we feel good about that,» Crosby said after the Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Monday night to force Game 6. «I think with any series, though, you've got to get better with every game, and there's still things that we can do better, and we'll try to build on that.

»But we're playing good hockey, and we got to go in there and find a way to win again."

Game 6 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

The Penguins have outscored the Flyers 7-4 in the past two games after being outscored 11-4 in the first three.

And like their past three outings, the Penguins were aggressive from the opening period and netted the first goal Monday night, this time less than three minutes in as Anthony Mantha fed Elmer Soderblom the puck from behind the net and the left winger buried it past Dan Vladar for his first career playoff goal.

«It was great for us to get that start, especially here at home,» Soderblom said.

The quick goal instantly injected the crowd with energy, especially after many fans left the last contest here dejected when the Penguins were shut out 3-0 in Game 2.

But that wasn't the case Monday night.

The Penguins scored twice more in the second period, each assisted by Crosby, including a bizarre ricochet goal that slipped past Vladar and was credited to Kris Letang.

«Especially after all the looks I got in the second, I can't believe that one goes in, but I just tried to put it there,» Letang said. «Obviously made a crazy bounce. Sometimes you create your own luck.»

And the Penguins needed that lucky break