Breaking down Crosby's blocked shot that helped sink Capitals in Game 2

Sidney Crosby is doing it all for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In helping his team win Game 2 of a series against the Washington Capitals, the captain recorded a pair of assists, one of which was sparked by a key blocked shot that led directly to what would stand as the decisive strike.

Here's how it happened.

With Washington down by a goal late in the second period, center Marcus Johansson (90) entered the offensive zone in search of the equalizer. Crosby (87) can be seen as the first forward back, about to cross the blue line with a view to lending support to his defensemen.

Johansson stopped along the boards and decided to drop the puck back to Justin Williams (14). Crosby, with an eye on Johansson, put himself in position to quickly pivot and turn his attention from the center to the winger.

And as Williams prepared for a shot attempt, Crosby dropped to his knees to block it.

Williams' shot bounced off Crosby's knees, at which point the latter looked to get back to his skates in pursuit of the puck. Crosby, however, appeared to be tripped up by the Capitals forward, who clearly sensed danger.

Undeterred while laid out on the ice, Crosby poked the puck to Jake Guentzel (59), who was then able to cleanly exit the zone and fly down the ice on an odd-man rush with Bryan Rust (17).

Guentzel ultimately decided to hold on to the puck, firing it past Braden Holtby (30) and prompting a Capitals goalie change at intermission.

The full replay can be seen here.

Ever the humble superstar, Crosby didn't see anything special about his effort to set up what stood as the game-winning goal.

"Everybody knows that's part of it," he said of blocking shots, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "Everyone's got to kind of do their part, depending upon their position and the situation. I don't think anybody overlooks that. I think we all understand how important it is to do different things and those details. A number of guys were blocking shots and doing all those things, so that's great to see."

Crosby's willingness to battle at both ends of the ice isn't lost on head coach Mike Sullivan, however.

"He's the best 200-foot player in the game, in my estimation," Sullivan said after the win. "He plays at both ends of the rink. He defends as well as he plays with the puck and creates offense.

"I've gained so much respect for him as a person in the time that I've been coaching him. That's something that I think you don't really gain an appreciation for a guy unless you get to see him on a daily basis."

The Penguins now head back to Pittsburgh with a 2-0 series lead, following two road wins, with Crosby and Co. well on the way to defending their 2016 Stanley Cup championship.

(Images courtesy: NHL.com)