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Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Crosby’s Three-Point Night Helps Lead Penguins to 5-3 Win Over the Panthers

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jordan Orth | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 10:05 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins traveled to Florida tonight (Oct. 23) to take on the Panthers in search of pushing their win streak to four games. In a game that saw both teams go toe-to-toe and give each other everything that they had, the Penguins did extend their streak, pulling off a 5-3 win over the Panthers.

Game Recap

The first 20 minutes of the game were more of a defensive battle between the two teams, with both sides playing well to limit any major goal-scoring chances. The Penguins cashed in on their first power play opportunity of the game, with a scramble out in front of Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky resulting in a loose puck on Bryan Rust’s stick behind the net. Rust found Sidney Crosby in the slot, and a quick shot from the Penguins’ captain beat Bobrovsky, who was still trying to get reestablished in the net. The goal marked the fourth straight game that Crosby had scored, and was the only one of the first period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead heading into the locker room. Both Bobrovsky and Tristan Jarry were solid for their respective teams in the period, stopping six shots apiece.

The second period was a back-and-forth played 20 minutes, with both sides having momentum in waves. The Penguins extended their lead with a goal by Rickard Rakell, cashing in on a rebound out in front of the net to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead less than seven minutes into the middle frame. But that lead would be short-lived, as the Panthers took advantage of a Penguins penalty to get their own power play goal. Brad Marchand was the beneficiary of some good puck movement at the top of the offensive zone, and Mackie Samsokevich found him backdoor for a redirection goal, netside. The Panthers gained a ton of momentum after the goal, but the Penguins withstood the pressure from the Stanley Cup champs. To wrap up the busy second period, Penguins rookie Benjamin Kindel added his second goal of the season when he and Tommy Novak ran a smooth give-and-go at the top of the circle in the Panthers zone that ended in him firing a one-time shot past Bobrovsky to give the Penguins the 3-1 lead that they would take heading into the third period.

Both teams traded goals in the first five minutes of the third period. It began with Sam Reinhart and Samoskevich playing a bit of back-and-forth on the wall while on the power play. It ended with Reinhart making a move out of the corner and beating Jarry shortside over his blocker to get the Panthers back within one. Connor Dewar got a lucky bounce on a shot that Bobrovsky will definitely want to have back to restore the Penguins’ two-goal lead less than two minutes later to push the game to 4-2. The Panthers would maintain momentum in the middle part of the period and were rewarded with Marchand scoring his second goal of the game, thanks to a strong forecheck behind the Penguins’ net, leading to a pass from behind the net for a quick shot from the slot. The Penguins once again fought back less than a minute later on the power play, with Crosby being on the backend of great puck movement between Evgeni Malkin, Rust, and Rakell. Rakell found Crosby from down low across the ice for a one-timer that beat Bobrovsky for a 5-3 Penguins lead. The Panthers made a push over the final three minutes with Bobrovsky pulled, but Jarry and the Penguins’ defense stood tall, ending in a 5-3 Penguins win.

In the win, Jarry was rock solid in the net for the Penguins, stopping 32 of 35 shots. Bobrovsky had a shaky night in the net for the Panthers, giving up five goals on 16 shots.

What’s Next

The Penguins are off until Saturday night (Oct. 25), when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Panthers return to the ice on Saturday as well, taking on the Vegas Golden Knights.