Following a superb sophomore season in the NHL, Sidney Crosby
collected a lot of hardware. Now, he has his sights set on the one
trophy that eluded him.

After being the most highly touted prospect since Eric Lindros prior
to being selected first overall in the 2005 draft, Crosby fell short
of winning the Calder Trophy, finishing as runner-up to Washington's
Alex Ovechkin. As a 19-year-old, he made up for it tenfold, capturing
the Art Ross and Hart Trophies, as well as the Lester B. Pearson
Award, en route to leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to the playoffs for
the first time in five seasons.

Shortly after being ousted from the postseason in the Eastern
Conference quarterfinals by the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh named
Crosby its captain. The Penguins figured, if Crosby can record 120
points to become the NHL's youngest leading scorer, he should have no
problem being the league's youngest team leader.

Crosby, who turned 20 on August 7, not only wants to lead Pittsburgh
back to the playoffs, he aspires to guide the club to the Stanley Cup,
something only former landlord Mario Lemieux has been able to
accomplish. But with the cast the Penguins have built around him, the
feat is not so far-fetched.

There's 21-year-old Calder Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin, who entered
the league with a splash, scoring a goal in each of his first six
games and finishing with 85 points. Also embarking on his sophomore
season is Jordan Staal, a 19-year-old who was a finalist for the
Calder after leading the league with seven shorthanded tallies.

Back are grizzled veterans Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts, both of whom
have their name enscribed on the Stanley Cup. And general manager Ray
Shero gave Crosby even more championship experience by signing Petr
Sykora and defenseman Darryl Sydor, who have three titles between them.

Enforcer Georges Laraque will be around to keep opponents from taking
liberties with Crosby, while Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney lead the
defense corps and quarterback the power play. Marc-Andre Fleury, the
first overall pick in 2003, will be looking to improve upon his 40
wins from last season.

The Penguins likely will receive their biggest challenge for the
Atlantic Division crown from the New York Rangers, who were seeking a
No. 1 center on the free-agent market and wound up with two.