Pettersson joined forwards Jake Guentzel and Teddy Blueger along with coach Mike Sullivan in saying Crosby's departure with 5:43 remaining in the second period was not the reason for the Rangers' three quick goals that gave them a 3-2 lead with 2:07 left.
"We've got an experienced group," Sullivan said. "We've just got to keep playing the game."
Crosby's injury likely stems from the high, hard hit he took from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba with 10:45 remaining in the second. He played two more shifts after that before
leaving during a television timeout
.
It's hard to imagine his departure didn't at least affect how the Penguins were playing.
They were in control and leading 2-0 when Crosby went to the dressing room, but Rangers defenseman Adam Fox got the puck, walked in from the right point to above the circle and scored through traffic to make it 2-1 at 15:11.
The crowd erupted. The Penguins lost the ensuing center-ice face-off, and 90 seconds later Alexis Lafreniere made it 2-2 on a one-timer from the slot.
Now the building was rocking, the press box shaking, and the Rangers again won the ensuing center-ice face-off. Jacob Trouba scored 72 seconds later to give New York a 3-2 lead.
"I just think we didn't win the wall battles, we didn't get pucks out and as a result we had four or five minutes of extended defensive-zone play," Sullivan said. "We just simply have to do a better job there."
RELATED: [Complete Rangers vs. Penguins series coverage]
Guentzel scored 13 seconds after Trouba to tie it, but when Crosby didn't return to start the third period it became obvious that the Rangers realized they could take advantage.
Pettersson was called for interference on Andrew Copp in the offensive zone, and Filip Chytil scored a power-play goal at 2:53 to give New York a 4-3 lead.
Penguins goalie Louis Domingue kept it a one-goal game with a save on Chris Kreider off a 4-on-1 rush 23 seconds later.
Evan Rodrigues replaced Crosby on the first power-play unit, but the Penguins couldn't get anything going when Ryan Strome went to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct at 6:57. The Rangers had a shorthanded 2-on-1, but Trouba whiffed on the one-timer.
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stood his ground, making 15 saves in the third, and Ryan Lindgren scored into the empty net at 19:44 to seal it.
"We're going back home, we had two good games at home," Pettersson said. "We knew that the hardest part of a series is closing it out. So, stay positive, keep our heads up and know that we're going back to our building and it's going to be fun playing there. We get another crack at it."
If Crosby isn't available Friday, the Penguins will have to lean heavily on center Evgeni Malkin, who had a mixed bag type of Game 4, with two assists, three blocks and 10 face-off wins in 15 attempts along with two roughing penalties 3:59 apart in the third period.
But Malkin historically has stepped up when Crosby has been absent. He has 199 points (77 goals, 122 assists) in 148 regular-season games without Crosby. The Penguins are 85-45-18.
Malkin has three assists in two playoff games without Crosby. The Penguins won both, 5-0 against the New York Islanders in Game 1 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, when Malkin had two assists, and 3-2 against the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the 2017 second round, when he had an assist.
"'Geno' is a generational talent, he's a real capable guy," Sullivan said. "I thought he had a strong game tonight. We feel like we're deep at that position and we have what it takes to win regardless of who is in our lineup. Geno is an important guy for us. That combination, Sid and Geno, have been two of the best in the League for 15-plus years. When one of them is out, the other one steps up, that's been my experience since I've been here. Depending on what happens moving forward, I'm sure Geno will bring his best."
