Notes: Sidney Crosby's eyes have it
By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY
When it comes to determining Sidney Crosby's "tell" for big-game
readiness, the eyes have it.

"People have often talked about the look in Maurice Richard's eyes
back when he played, and that's what I've seen in Sidney," said his
agent, Pat Brisson.

Facing playoff elimination for the first time, Crosby, 19, will lead
his Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday against the Ottawa Senators needing a
win to bring the series back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 on Sunday.

"I think we have showed ourselves and showed them that we are a tough
team to play against," Crosby said. "Moving forward to Ottawa, if we
bring that game, we will give ourselves a chance."

Even though Crosby is in only his second season, there seems to be a
leaguewide curiosity, maybe even an expectation, that he could rally
the Penguins back into the series.

"He's going to respond the way he did at the Memorial Cup and two
world junior championships," said former NHL coach Pierre McGuire, an
analyst for NBC. "The first year he played in the world juniors, he
was solid but the team lost. The next year he was unbelievable. You
could see the dogged determination he brought into the gold medal game."

McGuire remembered sitting with Wayne Gretzky watching Crosby
practice. "And Gretzky said, 'Look how intense he is. Look how focused
he is,' " McGuire recalled. "When a player has that, it doesn't
change. They have championship spirit, championship vision,
championship work ethic. So they aren't intimidated by the moment."

Brisson understood Crosby's molten intensity after he watched Crosby's
Canada team lose 4-3 to the USA for the 2004 world juniors title. "I
saw his eyes coming out of the locker room, and those eyes were
telling me he hates to lose," Brisson said. "Those eyes told me, 'Next
year we are going to win this thing,' and next year he did win it."

Crosby was shut out in Game 4, but before that he became only the
fourth teenager to get goals in his first three NHL playoff games.

Crosby's leadership was evident after Game 4 when he discussed how
much pride the team should have for its sterling effort.

The Senators pressured the Penguins more on the power play in Game 4,
and Crosby promised the team would make quicker decisions and be
stronger on the puck.

It almost seems like there would be a danger Crosby would try to do
too much by himself, but McGuire said he didn't think so because
earlier in the season he committed a turnover, through
over-stickhandling, that led to a loss in overtime.

"In talking to him … that was a transformation game for him," McGuire
said. "He knew after that he needed to use his teammates even more."