from Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,

Crosby was magnificent in Game 3, despite no points and a minus-3 on the score sheet. The Penguins captain controlled the puck, setting up winger Jake Guentzel with great scoring chances in each period....

“You’ve got to find ways to score goals at this time of year,” said Crosby, a 100-point scorer this season. “It’s not easy, but you’ve got to find a way to do it. … We had some good looks around the net. It’s a tight game. It’s a game of execution, and we haven’t done as good of a job as they have.”

There’s the hidden truth of this series. The Islanders have executed their game plan to perfection. They are doing everything the Penguins aren’t, from playing together to minimizing mistakes to capitalizing on chances.

And the Penguins’ bad habits have been glaring, whether it has been failing to get a goal or to protect the lead for more than a few minutes once they do score. The Penguins have scored two goals in the past two games. The Islanders scored twice in a span of 1:02 in Game 3 alone.

Where the Penguins looked like a team on life support, the Islanders went for the jugular. The Penguins are on the brink of elimination and don’t appear to have any answers.

“Every series is a new story. Every game is a new story. To say, ‘We can do this, absolutely,’ I wouldn’t say that because Sid’s a tremendous player,” Trotz said, adding that he would want to start an NHL franchise with Crosby. “He’s a fantastic player, and what he’s done for hockey and this franchise is undeniable.”

So is this: Not even Sid can save the Penguins in this series.

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