The Pittsburgh Penguins lost 2-5 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, according to multiple reports, and now trail the best-of-seven series 0-3. The defeat puts the Penguins on the brink of elimination as they head into Game 4.
The game's first period saw a controversial moment when Sidney Crosby received a two-minute penalty for diving, while Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway was also penalized for high-sticking Crosby. According to The Athletic's Josh Yohe, this was Crosby's first diving penalty in his entire career. Crosby said he does not understand how he got a diving penalty. Dan Muse, the Penguins head coach, stated that the Penguins have not had a single diving penalty all season. "We haven't had a single diving penalty all season. Nor has Crosby in 21 seasons. And now we would come to the playoffs and start diving?" Muse said. "Sid doesn't dive!" The call sparked debate among fans and analysts about the consistency of officiating.
I don't know how Rust got an extra penalty from that situation.
In the second period, a brawl erupted after a whistle, and the referees sent all players on the ice to the penalty box, multiple reports said. Bryan Rust received a 2+2 minute penalty while others received two minutes. Crosby described the brawl as a 'circus', while Rust called it a 'WWE match'. Dan Muse accused Flyers players of always trying to scuffle with Penguins players after whistles. "At that point, when the referees put everyone in the penalty box," Muse said. "Our players have to defend themselves." The brawl shifted momentum and led to power-play opportunities for the Flyers.
The Flyers capitalized on their power plays. Trevor Zegras scored a power-play goal to tie the game 1-1, according to reports. Rasmus Ristolainen then scored to give the Flyers the lead, and Nick Seeler added another to make it 3-1 for the Flyers. The Penguins struggled to recover from the deficit.
It became a circus out there.
After the game, Dan Muse blamed the loss on the referees, citing the diving penalty and the brawl as turning points. "We don't have a single (penalty for) embellishment all year. Sidney Crosby hasn't had one in 21 seasons. The stick in his face and they take both, I don't agree at all. We didn't come into this series to start diving now. Sid doesn't dive," Muse said.
However, defenseman Erik Karlsson took a different view, saying the Penguins have only themselves to blame for the loss. "We have only ourselves to blame," Karlsson said. He added that they played too many bad passes in wrong situations and did not stick to the game plan. "We played too many bad passes in wrong situations and made it difficult for ourselves, we didn't stick to the plan we had," Karlsson explained. This split in the Penguins' camp—the coach pointing to officiating while a player takes responsibility—may affect team morale and public perception.
I don't know how I get a penalty for diving. It's hard to understand.
Despite the loss, Karlsson expressed confidence that a different scenario awaits in Game 4. "We know what we have to do and are already excited for that game," he said. Karlsson recorded an assist in his first playoff game in seven years, and Rickard Rakell also recorded an assist.
The Penguins now face a must-win situation in Game 4 to avoid elimination. It remains to be seen whether the NHL will review the controversial diving penalty on Crosby or if any disciplinary action will result from the second-period brawl. The refereeing controversy could affect the remainder of the series as the Penguins try to adjust their game plan.