Records, Flyers fall to Crosby

PHILADELPHIA— Sidney Crosby scored his fifth goal of the series and became the Pittsburgh Penguins’ career post-season points leader in a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night.

The Penguins lead the firstround playoff series 3-1 as it shifts to Pittsburgh for Game 5.

Matt Murray stopped 26 shots for his second shutout of the series and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins are a win away from playing in the second round for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons.

Crosby scored in the second period for a 4-0 lead and passed Pittsburgh owner and hall-offamer Mario Lemieux for most playoff points with 173. Crosby and the Penguins followed a 7-0 Game 1 win and a 5-1 Game 3 victory with another dominant outing.

The Flyers were already on their second goalie by the time Crosby scored.

The Penguins chased Brian Elliott early in the period after the maligned goalie allowed his 14th goal of the series. Michal Neuvirth relived Elliott and it didn’t matter. Neuvirth lost track of the puck behind the net and had his head turned to the right when Crosby found it and snapped it under the goalie’s left skate.

The Flyers were confused. The Penguins were composed.

Philadelphia was without Sean Couturier, who was injured Tuesday at practice in a vicious collision with teammate Radko Gudas. Couturier had a goal and three points in the series.

“He’s been playing a lot of minutes for us. He plays every situation,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “He brings a lot to this team.”

Giroux, who scored 102 points during the season, has not scored a post-season goal since 2014. Lightning 3, Devils 1 (Tampa Bay leads series 3-1): A feisty Nikita Kucherov scored two goals, set up another and knocked New Jersey’s top defenceman out of the game with a big hit, and the Tampa Bay Lightning moved within a game of making the Devils’ first trip to the playoffs in six years a short one with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night.

J.T. Miller also scored and had two assists, and Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped three breakaways in making 27 saves as the Lightning bounced back from a loss in Game 3 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. Tampa Bay can wrap up the series at home on Saturday.

Kyle Palmieri scored for the Devils.