Penguins room: Mike Sullivan explains OT decision; Alex Nedeljkovic miffed

Sidney Crosby has old-school skates. They often serve him very well, especially in games like Monday, in which he largely dominates the competition.

However, those skates are also a hindrance at times because their blades are not easily replaced. Such was the reason Crosby did not start overtime or see ice time in the extra period, as the Penguins lost 3-2 in OT to Toronto.

Many Penguins fans were angry and questioning coach Mike Sullivan’s unusual decision against Toronto to start Lars Eller Drew O’Connor and Erik Karlsson in overtime. The Penguins got the first shot attempt but never again touched the puck. The Penguins’ trio were trapped on the ice for the entirety of the 90-second overtime period.

Many wondered why Eller started instead of Crosby.

Sullivan explained simply, “Sid had a skate issue.”

The Penguins’ four-game winning streak ended, but the result was one of the only disappointing aspects of the game. The Penguins largely outplayed Toronto, and as bummed-out goalie Alex Nedeljkovic said, “We deserved two points.”

Penguins Locker Room

Sidney Crosby

The Penguins captain pushed. The Crosby line with Bryan Rust and Drew O’Connor seemed to be on the puck all evening. They scored the tying goal in the third period and were the Penguins’ driving force.

It seemed the hockey gods were aiming to hurt Crosby late in the second period. On three consecutive shifts, he was nearly injured. He was taken down by Jake McCabe, slamming his knee off the post. Bobby McCann swatted him in the face (though officials rescinded a four-minute high-sticking penalty, believing it was the puck that hit Crosby. They were partially correct), and Crosby collided with Auston Matthews, taking more than a moment to get up.

“I should have just stayed off the ice after the first one,” he joked.

It was a hard-fought point for the Penguins, and Crosby looked at the glass as half full.