Wayne Gretzky, "The Great One," warns against counting out Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins as they attempt a historic comeback against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins faced a 3-0 series deficit in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but have won two straight games to force a Game 6.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby waits for a faceoff during the third period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 27, 2026.
"Boy, this has been really good hockey. It’s fast, it’s physical, there’s a lot of skill," Gretzky said on the "Game Notes" podcast. "You never count Crosby out, right? Even at 3-0, if there’s one team that has the ability to come back, my goodness, [the Penguins] have so much firepower with him and [Evgeni] Malkin."
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby celebrates a goal by teammate Connor Dewar during the second period of Game Five in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 26, 2026.
The series was dominated by the Flyers in the first three games, with the Penguins making critical adjustments, including a goaltending change to Arturs Silovs. The Latvian netminder has been solid, reigniting the team's confidence.
Gretzky also complimented the young Flyers squad. "Philly is playing with a lot of guts and energy. I talked to one of the [NHL’s] coaches in the last 10 games of the season, and they played Philly. He said it was one of the hardest teams they had to play against."
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby collides with Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny during the first period of Game 2 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs in Pittsburgh on April 20, 2026.
Game 6 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia. A win would force a decisive Game 7 in Pittsburgh. Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, has a point in each of the last three games.