Crosby on an impressive streak
PITTSBURGH — If Sidney Crosby keeps flying like this, it’s just a matter of time before he shows up on airport radar.
Crosby takes some impressive streaks into tonight’s home game against the New York Rangers. Overall, he has an 11-game points scoring streak and a goal in each of his last seven games. He’s also scored at least one goal in nine consecutive home games.
Coach Mike Sullivan says Crosby’s game is “at another level right now” and used the words “focused” and “determined” to describe him.
In other words, he’s like the pre-concussion Sidney Crosby, so dominating and productive right now that the Penguins are barely missing Evgeni Malkin, who will sit out at least three more games with a lower body injury.
What’s gotten into Crosby? He’s profited from the style of play Sullivan has emphasized since taking over the team in December for one thing. He’s also benefited from Kris Letang’s return to form. They’re co-conspirators who know each other’s game. The point has been made that Letang is like an extra winger for Crosby, and it’s valid.
He’s playing with passion and enthusiasm again. Is that because he’s successful, or is he finding success because of his new and improved outlook?
Some of the newer players are reacting in amazement to the things Crosby is doing. His two-goal game against Anaheim on Monday provided a couple of prime examples.
He blocked a shot at the blue line, then took off on a breakaway that resulted in his first goal of the game. Later, he managed to score again even though Cam Fowler had blanketed him blatantly enough that a penalty shot was pending.
Crosby is flying, and playing with the kind of abandon that characterized the early part of his career.
His success gives the entire team a lift.
It’s fun to watch him, but it can’t be much fun for the teams that are trying to stop him.
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The best guess on Malkin is that he has a knee injury that has lingered since a knee-to-knee hit that happened in a game against Columbus before the NHL’s Christmas break.
He missed three games last week, and will miss at least three more based on what Sullivan said after Tuesday’s practice.
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The news that the Penguins will play outdoor games against the Philadelphia Flyers will probably be considered good news by some.
Outdoor hockey is a great event, but it usually makes for a lousy game.
It’s a shame to give up prime dates against a rival for that setting, but there’s money to be made playing in a football stadium where the seating capacity is triple the normal levels.
Enjoy the tailgating, because the game itself probably won’t be much. And good luck to the people in the upper deck who are trying to follow the puck from that distance.
At least the games will be played in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The original plan, to stage the game at Penn State, made no sense.
Why would the NHL want to contribute to the economy of State College while steering revenue away from two cities where plenty of public money went into building new arenas?