Sidney Crosby says the Penguins have gained a lot of confidence in
recent months

By Kevin Mcgran
Toronto Star
(Mar 31, 2007)

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't been able to beat the Pittsburgh
Penguins in three tries so far this season. Which is too bad, because
the Penguins are a better team now than they were earlier in the year.

They got hot in January, added grit in Gary Roberts and toughness in
Georges Laraque in February and took over first place in Atlantic
Division in March.

Who knows what they'll be able to do in April.

"We just we gained a lot of confidence," star Sidney Crosby said
yesterday. "You win five, six in a row, you beat good teams, you gain
confidence.

"For a while it seemed like we couldn't lose. We were just finding
ways to win, whether it was getting huge saves or coming back and
winning the shootout. We couldn't lose."

While others in the Eastern Conference, like the Leafs, treaded water
by winning a few, then losing a few, the Penguins went on a tear. They
went 14-0-2 from mid-January to mid-February. A team loaded with
teenaged talent, and players in their young 20s, wasn't thinking about
the future. They were thinking about this year.

Adding Roberts in a deal with Florida and getting Laraque from Phoenix
in trade-deadline deals simply made sense.

At 6-foot-3, 243 pounds, Laraque gives Pittsburgh an intimidating
presence.

"His presence has been felt since his first game," says Crosby. "He's
a great guy in the room, he's a great guy to have around. On the ice,
he creates space, he can play. For a big guy, he can make plays, he's
got great hands, he can really protect the puck."

Roberts, as Leaf fans may be aware, is an influence on and off the
ice. He has four goals and six assists since coming to the Penguins.

"His experience is something that we definitely welcome," says Crosby.
"He just leads by example out there and anybody can't help but follow
the way he plays, especially this time of year. He shows a lot of
grit, he's definitely helped us a lot."

At 40, Roberts is able to remind the young guns of the Penguins that
youth is fleeting but a commitment to fitness and healthy eating can
prolong and enhance a career.

"Guys are working a little bit more," says Crosby. "He makes you feel
bad, when you're 19, 20 and I think he's 40 and he's hitting the
weights twice as hard as anybody else.

"He's a great role model. You couldn't get a better guy. He's a class
act. His work ethic shows every day. Even when guys are at meals they
watch what they eat around him. You can't help but do that. He's a
great fit."