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Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins' superstar, will be a little more wound up than usual this week.
He will not only have a chance to strut his stuff in front of his boyhood idol, the Great One, when the Penguins play host to the Wayne Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes tonight, but later this week Crosby will make his first NHL foray to Western Canada for games against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, the Calgary Flames on Thursday, and another appearance on Hockey Night in Canada in the late game against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Crosby hasn't played in Western Canada because of the unbalanced schedule that was adopted after the 2004-05 lockout, the same one that was scrapped last week at the NHL board of governors meeting.
“It's nice going to new places,” said Crosby, whose Penguins had a three-game win streak ended by the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4-2 decision at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday. “At the same time, when you go to places like that, it's going to be busy.”
Related Information
- Calgary Flames
- Edmonton Oilers
- Phoenix Coyotes
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Vancouver Canucks
- Erik Christensen
- Sidney Crosby
- Maxime Talbot
- Vesa Toskala
The only other time Crosby has performed against Gretzky and the Coyotes was last Dec. 27 in Phoenix when the Penguins enjoyed a 7-2 victory and the then teenage phenom scored once and set up three others.
“It's a unique experience for all of us,” Crosby said about performing in front of Gretzky last year. “We grew up watching him. I don't think I try to prove anything, but it's a unique experience to play against a team coached by one of the best players of all time.”
Playing in Western Canada also has been a unique experience in Crosby's 20 years. The native of Cole Harbour, N.S., has never suited up for a game in Vancouver or Edmonton, but he did play in Calgary in the prominent Mac's AAA midget tournament twice. First as a 14-year-old with the Dartmouth Subways, and again the following season when he was attending Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school in Minnesota.
He was chosen to the 2002 tournament all-star team and last year was inducted to the Mac's Wall of Fame.
Crosby will likely be climbing the walls by the time his trip to Western Canada concludes. His passion runs high for playing games in Canada, but his time away from the rink is spent keeping a low profile. In other words, Crosby won't be found looking for a postgame pint on Electric Avenue in Calgary.
“Probably a little busier, more interviews,” the reigning NHL MVP said when asked about the difference between playing in Canada and the United States.
The then teenage phenom scored once and set up three others.
“It's a unique experience for all of us,” Crosby said about performing in front of Gretzky last year. “We grew up watching him. I don't think I try to prove anything, but it's a unique experience to play against a team coached by one of the best players of all time.”
Playing in Western Canada also has been a unique experience in Crosby's 20 years. The native of Cole Harbour, N.S., has never suited up for a game in Vancouver or Edmonton, but he did play in Calgary in the prominent Mac's AAA midget tournament twice. First as a 14-year-old with the Dartmouth Subways, and again the following season when he was attending Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school in Minnesota.
He was chosen to the 2002 tournament all-star team and last year was inducted to the Mac's Wall of Fame.
Crosby will likely be climbing the walls by the time his trip to Western Canada concludes. His passion runs high for playing games in Canada, but his time away from the rink is spent keeping a low profile. In other words, Crosby won't be found looking for a postgame pint on Electric Avenue in Calgary.
“Probably a little busier, more interviews,” the reigning NHL MVP said when asked about the difference between playing in Canada and the United States. “There always is a lot more going on.
“I can't go out and eat in restaurants [in Canada] or stuff like that. I'm going to Edmonton, but I'm basically going to the hotel and the rink. In Calgary, it's hotel and then the rink. It's usually pretty busy. But that's fine. I'm used to it.”
Crosby and the Penguins, however, haven't dominated when playing in Canada. They have seven wins in 15 games played in Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto in his two-plus NHL seasons. Crosby, who has averaged 1.39 points a game in the NHL so far, has six goals and 17 points playing in Canada for a 1.13 points-a-game average.
“I think playing all Canadian teams is fun just because of the atmosphere,” Crosby said. “I don't think there is a fan like the Canadian hockey fan. It's always a big buzz. Everyone else and myself looks forward to playing in that sort of atmosphere.”
There was a buzz every time Crosby hit the ice against the Leafs. He made several edge-on-your-seat moves, but came away with only an assist on a late-game power-play goal by Erik Christensen.
“It would have been nice to pick up some momentum on our power plays in the second period,” Crosby said. “But we couldn't capitalize. Power plays can give you the momentum, but they also can take away the momentum.”
In the second period, Crosby cut through the crease of Vesa Toskala only to be tripped up by the Toronto goalie. Crosby banged his left ankle on the goal post and wasn't available for a few shifts. The Penguins' captain said “it was a stinger,” but nothing serious.
Because the Penguins played games on successive evenings last Friday and Saturday, Pittsburgh's morning skate on Saturday was optional. Crosby did not skate, which disappointed the children who attended the Leafs' annual open skate and stayed behind for a glimpse of the phenom. But there was a Penguins player who skated out and masqueraded as Crosby. He was injured Pittsburgh forward Maxime Talbot.
“It got pretty loud out there, didn't it?” Talbot said of the ovation he received.
