This should tell anyone how determined the Pittsburgh Penguins are to complete their Stanley Cup comeback: Sidney Crosby, the star scorer, has become Sidney Crosby, the role-playing specialist.

Their 21-year-old captain has almost been a non-factor on offense with one goal and two assists, yet the Penguins rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force a Game 7 in Detroit on Friday night.

QUICK ANALYSIS

The Penguins have been a resilient squad all season and, true to form, the team overcame another obstacle in their quest for the Stanley Cup by staving off elimination and pulling off a gutsy 2-1 victory in Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7 in Detroit Friday night.

The Penguins suffered a devastating 5-0 loss to Detroit in Game 5 and many writers and pundits considered the Penguins’ championship hopes over. But all season long, Pittsburgh has played its best when the chips appeared stacked against them and Tuesday night was no different.

Marc-Andre Fleury bounced back from his Game 5 performance to stop 25 shots and hold off a late Red Wings’ surge, and the never-say-die Penguins proved once again that they will not go quietly into that good night.

Now, the Stanley Cup championship comes down to a one-game, winner-takes-all Game 7 showdown. The Penguins are one victory shy of hoisting the Stanley Cup. The entire season comes down to one game and that contest will be the Penguins greatest challenge of the season. Count them out at your own risk.