Crosby scores 42nd goal, Penguins keep playoff hopes alive with 4-2 win over Predators

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing like a playoff team.

They're only too aware it still might not be enough to reach the postseason.

Sidney Crosby scored his 42nd goal and added an assist as the Penguins preserved their playoff hopes with a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night.

Pittsburgh improved to 8-1-3 in its last 12 games to remain one point behind Washington and Detroit with one game remaining in the race for the Eastern Conference's second wild card.

The Capitals and Red Wings need to lose on Tuesday for the Penguins' regular season finale against the New York Islanders on Wednesday to carry any meaning. If Washington and Detroit fall in regulation or overtime, Pittsburgh can earn the NHL's final open playoff spot by beating the Islanders, who clinched a playoff spot on Monday.

“Obviously, we need some help but given the position we were in a few weeks ago I think we would have taken this opportunity,” said Crosby, who has 23 points during his team's late surge. “So hopefully we get some help.”

Erik Karlsson also had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, and Reilly Smith and Emil Bemstrom also scored. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves while making his 12th straight start for Pittsburgh.

Filip Forsberg scored his franchise-record 48th goal and Gustav Nyquist added his 23rd but playoff-bound Nashville let a chance to lock up the Western Conference's top wild card slip away.

Juuse Saros stopped 34 shots but the Predators finished just shy of the seventh 100-point season in the franchise's 25 seasons. Vegas can pass Nashville for the seventh seed in the West by winning its final two games against Chicago and Anaheim later this week.

“We know we’re in, but at the same time, it’s about being ready,” Forsberg said. "I think the first period was not ‘ready’ hockey, but the second and third were.”

The Predators put themselves in the postseason thanks to a 16-0-2 stretch from Feb. 17-March 26. Pittsburgh waited until the last possible moment to give itself a chance to do the same.

The Penguins were nine points out of a postseason position in late March and appeared relegated to playing out the string. Then came a push that has them looking like the team they thought they'd be all along.

They only hope it's not too late.

“I tell you before, this team is amazing,” Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin said. “If we play like this all year, probably, we clinch the playoffs.”

The Penguins came out flying during a first period that may have been among the 20 most dominant minutes by the Penguins during their wildly uneven season.

A diving Crosby slapped the puck into an open net 7:02 into the game. The longtime Pittsburgh captain — looking very much like he's still in his prime at 36 — then fed Karlsson for a one-timer with 6:10 remaining in the first.

Still, it could have been more. Twice the Penguins beat Saros only to have the goals overturned due to goaltender interference. Officials ruled Saros had his stick stepped on during a scramble that ended with Bunting finding the back of the net. Letang's flick from the right circle later in the period was waved off due to interference by Pittsburgh forward Lars Eller, who appeared to be on the very fringe of the blue paint when Letang's shot whizzed by.

The Predators regrouped in the second to pull within one. Nyquist's 23rd appeared to give Nashville life before Smith responded 57 seconds later to restore Pittsburgh's two-goal advantage.

Forsberg's flick past Nedeljkovic with just 2:24 remaining before the second intermission made it 3-2. The Penguins have had trouble closing teams out most of the year, one of the main reasons they find themselves outside of playoff position looking in with just three days to go.

This time, the lead held. Karlsson dished a slick cross-ice feed to Bemstrom 2:42 into the third and the Predators got no closer.

The Penguins lingered on the ice to sign jerseys for fans following their final home game of the regular season. They're trying to stay optimistic a playoff home date awaits next week.

“We’ve worked pretty hard to get ourselves in this position and get ourselves a chance,” Crosby said.

UP NEXT

Predators: The playoffs, where Nashville will try to advance past the opening round for the first time since 2018.

This story has been corrected to fix the Penguins' surge to 8-1-3 in their last 12 games, not 8-0-3 in their last 11.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Nashville Predators' Gustav Nyquist (14) returns to the bench after scoring against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Reilly Smith (19) celebrates after scoring against the Nashville Predators during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust (17) collides with Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) makes a save behind Pittsburgh Penguins' Michael Bunting (8) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Nashville Predators' Roman Josi (59) and Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Penguins' Michael Bunting (8) fight for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Nashville Predators' Dante Fabbro, left, and Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust (17) fight for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates after scoring against Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros, right, makes a save in front of Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette, center top, calls instructions to his players during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) makes a save in front of Nashville Predators' Luke Evangelista (77) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, center top, calls instructions to his players during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Erik Karlsson (65) returns to the bench after scoring against the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) returns to the bench after scoring against the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) makes a save against Nashville Predators' Cole Smith (36) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell (67) lands on top of Nashville Predators' Cole Smith, left, during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Marcus Pettersson (28) congratulates goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) after defeating the Nashville Predators in an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Emil Bemstrom, left, celebrates with Jansen Harkins (43) after scoring against the Nashville Predators during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

PARIS (AP) — French media are reporting that actor Gérard Depardieu is in police custody for questioning about allegations made by two women that he sexually assaulted them on movie sets.

Broadcaster BFMTV and the daily Le Parisien reported that the 75-year-old actor was summoned Monday morning by Paris police and placed in custody.

The Paris police force said it wasn't authorized to comment and directed questions to the Paris prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor's office said it had no comment “at this stage."

“We have no information to communicate or confirm before having assessed any eventual charges and directions,” the office said in an email in response to questions from The Associated Press.

One of Depardieu’s lawyers, Christian Saint-Palais, was seen walking into a police station in the 14th district of Paris after lunching Monday at a nearby restaurant. He said he had no comment.

A lawyer for one of the alleged victims did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Depardieu has denied wrongdoing. In an open letter last October, he said: “I have never, ever abused a woman.”

BFMTV and Le Parisien reported that the police summons relates to accusations of sexual assault filed by two women who accuse him of groping during filming — one in 2014, the other in 2021.

The alleged 2014 assault was reported to police in January this year, Le Parisien reported.

The other alleged assault involved a 53-year-old movie decorator. She alleged that Depardieu grabbed her and kneaded her waist, stomach and breasts during filming for “Les Volets verts,” or “The Green Shutters,” according to the woman’s lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, when she filed the complaint to the Paris prosecutor’s office in February.

Depardieu has also been accused by more than a dozen other women of harassing, groping or sexually assaulting them. He was handed preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 following allegations from actor Charlotte Arnould.

Depardieu was long seen as a national icon in France. He has been a global ambassador for French film and enjoyed international fame with several roles in Hollywood.

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AP correspondent John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed.

FILE - Actor Gerard Depardieu addresses the media during the press conference for the film 'Saint Amour' at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. French media are reporting that police have summoned actor Gérard Depardieu for questioning about allegations made by two women that he sexually assaulted them on movie sets. Broadcaster BFMTV and the daily Le Parisien both reported that the 75-year-old actor was called in for police questioning in Paris on Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Axel Schmidt, File)