Sidney Crosby once again reminded Philadelphia exactly why he’s been their long-standing nightmare. The Penguins captain lit the lamp twice on Monday night, scoring his 58th and 59th career goals against the Flyers in a 5-1 Pittsburgh win that felt more like a statement than just another regular-season game.
At 38 years old, Crosby continues to thrive in the NHL’s most hostile environments - and there’s no place where he’s been more dominant than in Philadelphia. With 59 goals and 137 points in 92 career games against the Flyers, no other player in NHL history has tormented this franchise quite like No.
- He’s not just a rival - he’s a recurring nightmare in black and gold.
The Flyers tried to hype the matchup as a “Keystone Rivalry,” but let’s be honest: rivalries are built on balance. And when it comes to Crosby vs. the Flyers, the scales have never really tipped in Philly’s favor.
The Penguins’ captain has three Stanley Cups to his name. The Flyers?
Still holding onto their last championship from 1975 - a full 12 years before Crosby was even born.
Still, the Flyers came into this one with some momentum, riding a three-game win streak and playing with renewed energy under head coach Rick Tocchet. Tocchet, a familiar face in Philly, has brought a sense of belief back to the bench in his first season back. He knows what it takes to win - he’s got a Cup as a player and two more as an assistant coach, both with the Penguins, ironically enough.
But belief can only take you so far when Crosby’s on the other side.
The veteran center opened the scoring with his 60th career road game-opening goal, setting the tone early. Then, in the second period, he struck again - a vintage wrist shot through traffic on the power play that put Pittsburgh up 2-1.
Bryan Rust followed up with his eighth of the season, giving the Penguins a two-goal cushion heading into the third. From there, it was all Pittsburgh.
Thomas Novak and Kevin Hayes each added goals to put the game out of reach.
Crosby’s performance wasn’t just about his dominance over the Flyers - it was another step toward franchise immortality. With 1,716 career points, he’s now within striking distance of Mario Lemieux’s all-time Penguins record of 1,723.
That’s the same Lemieux who once owned the team while Crosby was captaining Pittsburgh to Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017. The passing of the torch is nearly complete, and Crosby’s still adding fuel to the fire.
For the Flyers, there was a bright spot in Tyson Foerster, who scored his 10th goal of the season. He’s been one of the team’s most consistent offensive threats, but his night took a worrying turn when he dropped to his knees clutching his right arm after a shot attempt. He went straight to the locker room - a concerning moment for a team that can’t afford to lose its top scorer.
What’s next:
The Penguins head south to face the Lightning on Thursday, while the Flyers will try to regroup at home against the Sabres on Wednesday. But after Monday night, one thing is clear: Sidney Crosby still owns the Flyers - and he’s not ready to hand over the deed anytime soon.