There are immutable certainties in hockey.<\/p>\n
The ice will be cold, and the pucks will be rubber.<\/p>\n
And Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will always be ready for the Philadelphia Flyers.<\/p>\n
Such was the case Thursday as Crosby and the Penguins thumped their most enduring rivals 6-3 at PPG Paints Arena.<\/p>\n
The result snapped a three-game losing skid (0-2-1) for the Penguins, who awakened from an offensive hibernation in which they were limited to two goals over that trio of defeats.<\/p>\n
The Penguins had 13 players record a point, including Crosby (one goal and one assist).<\/p>\n
A leading protagonist in the Penguins-Flyers allegory \u2014 or antagonist, depending on which side of the commonwealth one might inhabit \u2014 Crosby doesn\u2019t need any extra reason to be tuned in for the Flyers. But with both squads striving to secure postseason-worthy places in the standings just past the midway juncture of the regular season, urgency is only amplified.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re all big games,\u201d Crosby said Wednesday in Cranberry. \u201cAs far as how important the points are and what it means here in the standings, there\u2019s a lot of motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner improved his record to 15-12-4 by unofficially making 30 saves on 33 shots.<\/p>\n
Having spent the bulk of his first seven NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and being a part of the fierce Battle of Alberta against the rival Calgary Flames, Skinner, acquired in a trade Dec. 12, got his first taste of the Battle of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday, I was talking to somebody and he (said), \u2018Hey, big game tomorrow. Playing against Philly,\u2019\u201d Skinner recalled. \u201cI was like, \u2018Oh, why\u2019s that?\u2019 And he was talking about the state rivalry. I was like, \u2018OK, that\u2019s awesome.\u2019 It was pretty easy to get up for this game. Then, coming in this morning, talking about it, we were pretty juiced to play this game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found out yesterday, but that got me fired up. I was ready to go. I was ready to work for this team and for this city.\u201d<\/p>\n
As usual, the Penguins\u2019 energetic fourth line of Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte was ready. That trio combined on two goals in some fashion and offered its usual approach of tenacity and physicality. Lizotte even got into a fight that led to a power-play goal for Crosby.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey contribute a lot of different ways,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cThey bring energy. They contribute on the scoresheet. They\u2019re tough to play against. They get a lot of zone time. They\u2019re good penalty killers, so a lot of different areas. They\u2019re playing unbelievable for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penguins forward Justin Brazeau opened the scoring 2:16 into regulation by collecting his 13th goal of the season during a power-play sequence.<\/p>\n
Accepting the puck above the right circle of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Anthony Mantha faked a one-timer and then fed a pass to the opposite circle. Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae deflected the puck a bit with his stick in the slot, but not enough to break up its intended route to the left dot. Penguins rookie forward Ben Kindel gathered in the puck and one-touched a forehand pass to the far side of the crease. Brazeau, positioned as if he purchased the oil and mineral rights of that portion of the ice, leaned on his right knee and tapped a forehand shot by the left skate of goaltender Samuel Ersson. Kindel and Mantha had assists.<\/p>\n
wow. <\/p>\n
Puck movement doesn’t get ANY better than this ????<\/p>\n
(via: ESPN) pic.twitter.com\/YgGxjdmnO2<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n The hosts struck again on a power play via forward Bryan Rust\u2019s 17th goal at 12:25 of the first period.<\/p>\n Settling the puck at the center point of Philadelphia\u2019s zone, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang maneuvered a bit to his right and fed a pass to the top of the left circle. Surveying for a shooting lane, Rust identified one and zipped a wrister to the far side by Ersson\u2019s glove. Letang and Crosby collaborated on assists.<\/p>\n Rusty wrister!<\/p>\n (via: ESPN) pic.twitter.com\/JG7xX4prY8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov put his team up by a field goal with his fifth goal 76 seconds into the second period.<\/p>\n Corralling a rebound on his own left half wall, Penguins forward Tommy Novak fed a stretch pass to the far blue line. Linemate Evgeni Malkin, who looked as if he was offside on the sequence by the distance to the Somerset exit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, accepted the puck, pulled up on the right half-wall of Philadelphia\u2019s zone, drew in Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale and dished a pass to the slot. Surging toward the cage, Chinakhov took in the puck and smoked a wrister from the lower left hashmark by Ersson\u2019s blocker on the near side. Assists were merited by Malkin and Novak.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/h9bZeQQz0G<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EN Videos (@ENVideos19) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n It marked the second time in four games that Malkin and Chinakhov connected for a score. During a 2-1 home loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Malkin set up Chinakhov for his second goal since joining the Penguins in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve seen a couple of goals there with these guys just finding each other off the rush,\u201d coach Dan Muse said. \u201cThey find each other in zone. Anytime you have new linemates too, sometimes it takes a little while to really see that chemistry build. But we\u2019ve seen it\u2019s starting to build in the right way. They\u2019re playing well, Egor is playing well.\u201d<\/p>\n The Flyers responded only 61 seconds later with forward Rodrigo Abols\u2019 third goal.<\/p>\n Winning a puck battle deep on the right wall of the Pittsburgh zone against Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea, Flyers forward Carl Grundstrom slid a pass to above the far circle. Stopping the puck, defenseman Cam York wound up and whacked a slap-pass to the front of the cage. Slipping in from the right circle, Abols deflected the puck with the backhand of his stick past Skinner\u2019s left skate. York and Grundstrom generated assists.<\/p>\n Rodrigo \u0100bols g\u016bst savus tre\u0161os v\u0101rtus \u0161osezon! ???????????? pic.twitter.com\/g5Zg4KtFHW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NHL Latvija (@Latvija_NHL) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n The Flyers made the peculiar decision of pulling Ersson after Abols\u2019 score. While Ersson appeared to be healthy, rookie goaltender Aleksei Kolosov completed the contest.<\/p>\n Lizotte got in on the act with his sixth goal at 18:29 of the second frame.<\/p>\n Flyers forward Travis Konecny recovered a loose puck near his own right corner but held on to it for too long, allowing Lizotte to check him and knock the puck free. Acciari swooped in, claimed possession and drove to the right of the cage from a bad angle. Upon arrival, he shuffled a backhander on net, which Kolosov rejected at first. Acciari jabbed another backhander on the rebound, causing the puck to become airborne and flutter over Kolosov. The puck glanced off the crossbar as it approached the ice, Lizotte managed to tap it in from above the blue paint. Acciari accrued the lone assist.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/K8FmKUAGoX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EN Videos (@ENVideos19) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n A customary feature of Penguins-Flyers entanglements \u2014 a fight \u2014 unfolded 92 seconds into the third period.<\/p>\n Flyers forward Denver Barkey tried to carry the puck through the neutral zone only to get planted onto the ice on a stiff shoulder check by Lizotte. An unlikely candidate \u2014 Flyers forward Matvei Michkov \u2014 jumped Lizotte in response and the two tussled to the ice.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Fighting majors were issued to Lizotte and Michkov \u2014 the first of Michkov\u2019s career \u2014 while an additional roughing minor was assessed to Michkov.<\/p>\n That set up Crosby for his team-best 25th goal at 3:19 of the third period during another power-play sequence.<\/p>\n Off a puck battle from Philadelphia\u2019s end boards, Malkin settled the puck below the left circle and coolly slid a pass to the far side of the crease, where Crosby pumped a wrister into a mostly vacant cage as Kolosov flashed his glove in vain. Malkin and forward Rickard Rakell registered assists.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/qIIh0HVGAR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EN Videos (@ENVideos19) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n The rout was on only 68 seconds later when Dewar claimed his ninth goal.<\/p>\n Andrae tried to skate a rebound out of danger from his own right circle but was pestered into a turnover by Acciari, who tapped a pass to an onrushing Novak. After waiting, waiting and waiting, Novak slipped a pass to the left circle for Dewar, who swiped a forehand shot behind a distressed Kolosov. Novak and Acciari had assists.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/B7FZ2Ncni7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EN Videos (@ENVideos19) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler got on the scoreboard with his second goal at 6:22 of the third.<\/p>\n Settling a puck in the Penguins\u2019 slot, Barkey offloaded it to an advancing Seeler, who maneuvered into the left circle and ripped a wrister to the far side past Skinner\u2019s glove. Barkey and defenseman Noah Juulsen generated assists.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/SkM3y2JdcW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EN Videos (@ENVideos19) January 16, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n The scoring was capped at 17:25 by Michkov\u2019s 10th goal.<\/p>\n Barkey gathered a bouncing puck in the neutral zone and burst into the offensive zone, creating a two-on-one rush with Michkov against Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. From above the left circle, Barkey fed a pass to the opposite circle for Michkov, who swept a one-timer past Skinner\u2019s glove on the near side. Barkey and linemate Sean Couturier had assists.<\/p>\n