NHL

Sidney Crosby's Overtime Winner Defied Physics and Might Have Saved the Penguins' Season

The Penguins won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in overtime thanks to a crazy goal from their captain. And it's changed everything for Pittsburgh.

How would the Penguins respond?

After losing Game 1 at home to the Lightning last Friday, the Penguins were in a must-win situation on Monday night. After all, just 14% of teams that go down 2-0 in a series actually end up winning the series. Those aren't great odds.

Because Pittsburgh needed the victory, all eyes were on captain Sidney Crosby. Naturally, one of the game's best players -- if not the best player -- came through with a big overtime goal. One that, honestly, didn't make any sense physically.


What?

The goal tied the series up at one game apiece as the teams travel to Tampa for Game 3 on Wednesday.

With the win, the Penguins catapulted themselves back to having the second-best odds to win the Stanley Cup, currently sitting at 27.08% -- that's a big jump from the 19% odds they had entering their Game 2 contest. The Blues, for those interested, are ahead of Pittsburgh at 33.42% thanks to their 1-0 series lead over the Sharks.

Had Crosby not defied physics -- or had the camera angle not made it look that way -- in overtime, it would've been an uphill battle for Pittsburgh the rest of the way. Instead, they're favorites to take the series.