BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Every now and then SIdney Crosby will make a play that's both incredible and somehow still unsurprising to see, given that he's the one making it.
He made one of those in the Penguins' 4-3 overtime win over the Sabres Friday night at KeyBank Center.
It was early in the third period, and the Penguins trailed 2-1 after two late second-period goals by Buffalo. The play was in the Sabres' end, and the Sabres rimmed the puck around the boards trying to clear it out.
The puck was moving quickly.
That's when Crosby -- back by the blue line -- slid feet-first into the boards to block the puck and hold it in. He corralled the puck and, before he got back onto his skates, he made a hard, backhand, lateral pass to keep the puck in play. Rickard Rakell scored the tying goal seconds later:
"It was an unbelievable play by Sid," Mike Sullivan said afterward. "Just a great play all around."
I asked Crosby after the game to walk through that play, and he seemed to try to downplay his efforts.
"I just tried to keep it in," he said. "I mean, you try to find some ways. Sometimes it's not pretty but you have to try to find a way to keep it in. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'm glad that it ended up as a goal."
Crosby might think that it's just a routine play at the blue line, but it's plays like those that make him the great player that he is.
