Just wanted to let you all know that from now on I will be posting the
news on a website:
http://sidneycrosbyhockey.info

It's easier that way for me. I hope you guys will bookmark it and
visit daily.

Video Clip:
http://penguins.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?type=fvod&id=21478

Staff worked on getting players ready for long flight and time difference

The Penguins left Saturday for Sweden, but players and coaches began
preparing for the trip earlier in the week.

General Manager Ray Shero said that strength and conditioning coach
Mike Kadar and trainer Chris Stewart worked to prepare the players for
the unique demands of a trip involving an eight-hour flight and
six-hour time difference. They examined sleep patterns, eating habits
and other data to help the players deal with travel fatigue.

"Obviously, many of our guys have been to Europe before, playing in
tournaments, playing for national teams, but we wanted to help prepare
them in the best way possible, especially because these will be
regular season games," Shero said.

Kadar and Stewart shared their own travel experiences with NHL teams
and worked with a consultant who specializes in fatigue management.
Players were then given individual programs regarding sleeping and
eating so they could start adjusting before the trip.

"We also talked a lot to our European players, who make this trip all
the time, and we just tried to put a good plan together for the team,"
Kadar said. "We started on Monday, to help with the adjustment."

Because of the lengthy flight and the time change, the Penguins were
scheduled to land in Stockholm on Sunday morning. But they won't be
going to sleep when they arrive. Instead, the players will meet for a
team meal, then get on the ice for an afternoon practice.

"It won't be strenuous or anything – just to get a sweat," Shero said.

"We'll arrive in the morning and try to treat it like a normal day,"
Kadar said. "Sure, the players will be a little tired, but we'll have
a practice and get some dinner, and then they'll be able to be back on
schedule and get a good night's sleep."

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be practice days in Stockholm, in
advance of Thursday's quick day-trip to Helsinki, Finland for a
pre-season game against Jokerit of the Finnish Elite League. After
another practice day in Sweden Friday, the Penguins will take on the
Ottawa Senators in regular season games Saturday and Sunday at the
Globe Arena in Stockholm.

"It will be good for us just to have a few practice days over there,
to get our feet on the ground, and we're looking forward to it," Shero
said  "Camp this year has been kind of a whirlwind, starting early,
playing pre-season games right away, traveling. It will be good for
our team just to be in one place for a few days and have some good
practice days."

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have 25 players on their roster when they
leave today for a 10-day trip to Sweden. The Penguins will have to
make one more roster move on Friday, Oct. 3 to get down to a 24-man
roster for season-opening games on Oct. 4 and 5 against the Ottawa
Senators at the Globe Arena in Stockholm.

Forward Connor James and defenseman Danny Richmond were assigned today
to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Injured
defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney will not make the trip.

The 25-man roster for the Sweden trip includes 15 forwards, seven
defensemen and three goaltenders.

The forwards are Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Petr
Sykora, Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, Matt Cooke, Max Talbot,
Tyler Kennedy, Pascal Dupuis, Eric Godard, Jeff Taffe, Janne Pesonen,
Bill Thomas and Paul Bissonnette.

The defensemen are Brooks Orpik, Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill, Mark Eaton,
Darryl Sydor, Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski.

The goaltenders are Marc-Andre Fleury, Dany Sabourin and John Curry.

Once they return from the Sweden trip, the Penguins will have to make
another roster move to get down to a 23-man roster for the rest of the
regular season. The NHL made a special exception to allow 24 players
on the roster for the games in Sweden.

TORONTO — Sidney Crosby showed flashes of his dominant form, provided
some highlight-reel fodder with a brilliant breakaway goal and then
pronounced himself fit.

That stuff about a groin injury? "No worries," he said. "It was just a
groin tweak, everything was good."

It certainly looked that way Friday night, when the Pittsburgh
Penguins captain picked up a goal and an assist in a 5-4 pre-season
win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 21-year-old superstar sat out Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the
Leafs at Mellon Arena with groin soreness but was a force pretty much
every time he stepped on the ice Friday, even if his touch wasn't as
crisp as it usually is.

Still, after earlier setting up Mark Eaton's goal, Crosby tied the
game 3-3 at 5:26 of the third period when he took Miro Satan's
breakaway pass and beat Vesa Toskala despite being hauled to the ice.

It was a nice bit of redemption, as he was robbed in the second period
when Toskala stuck his toe out on Crobsy's shot after a pretty
cross-ice pass from Satan during a 2-on-1.

"He made a good save," Crosby said of his rejection. "It was nice to
get one."

Matt Cooke settled matters with 1:35 left, banging home a loose puck
for Pittsburgh's first and only lead of the night. Kris Letang knotted
the game 4-4 at 16:14 after Tomas Kaberle, who also had two assists,
gave the Maple Leafs a brief 4-3 lead at 7:55.

Janne Pesonen also scored for the Penguins (3-0-1), who depart
Saturday for Stockholm, Sweden, where they'll open the NHL season with
games versus the Ottawa Senators Oct. 4 and 5. They'll also make a
brief jaunt to Finland for a friendly with Jokerit Helsinki, so
playing well against the Leafs was of the utmost importance.

Coach Michel Therrien told his team as much during the second
intermission, urging them to be less worried about playing with structure.

"We're thinking too much - we've got to play with our instinct," said
Therrien. "When you're thinking too much about the positioning, you're
not reacting like you're supposed to react.

"We're not in groove right now. It takes time."

Luke Schenn, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 draft, Dominic Moore
and Alexei Ponikarovsky also scored for the Maple Leafs (1-2-0), who
weren't able to capitalize on those growing pains before a crowd of
18,884.

They were less than four minutes away from victory before coughing it up.

"What happened shouldn't happen," said Leafs coach Ron Wilson. "We
watched all the replays and all the mistakes are correctable."

Skating with Miro Satan and Pascal Dupuis on his wings, Crosby worked
his magic along the boards, bullying his way to the front of the net
and made brilliant passes through sticks and legs.

Midway through the second he won a faceoff in the Leafs end back to
Alex Goligoski, who relayed a pass to Eaton, who promptly wired a shot
off a sprawling Ponikarovsky and past a fooled Toskala. That cut
Toronto's lead to 3-2, setting the stage for the third-period rally.

"We do have a few new guys and I think everyone is getting a little
bit adjusted," said Crosby. "With each game we're getting more
familiar with everyone, that takes time, but guys are really focused
on playing the way we know how and playing the system.

"As long as we're doing that, we have a lot of skill so that should
take over."

Toskala, making his pre-season debut, made several eye-popping stops,
including a pair on shots off cross-ice passes in the first. He stoned
Dupuis on a great feed from Satan in the first minute and flustered
Jordan Staal midway through the frame.

Schenn made it a 3-1 game when his shot from the point snuck through a
screened Marc-Andre Fleury just 1:55 into the second.

"For sure," Schenn said when asked if his confidence was growing. "I'm
feeling more comfortable and I just want to keep progressing."

Ponikarovsky sent the Leafs into the first intermission with a 2-1
lead when he tipped Carlo Colaiacovo's point shot off the face of
Letang and into the goal.

Pesonen tied the game 1-1 at 15:24 when he took the rebound of a
Ruslan Fedotenko shot off the end-boards and shovelled it past Toskala.

Moore opened the scoring a minute and a half earlier with his third
goal of the pre-season, second shorthanded, when he picked up Jamal
Mayers' clearing pass in the neutral zone after Letang fell at the
blue-line, coasted in on Fleury and beat him high.

Notes: Darryl Boyce and Tim Stapleton were among the 13 players
assigned by the Leafs to the AHL Marlies. ... The Penguins also opened
the 2000-01 season overseas, clashing with Nashville in Japan. ...
Penguins tough guy Paul Bissonnette fought for the fourth time this
pre-season, pummelling Toronto's Ryan Hollweg midway through the
second. Bissonnette picked up 35 penalty minutes in his previous two
games. ... Schenn was playing in his third straight game.

PITTSBURGH – For a few minutes before Wednesday night's pre-season
NHL game, there was a growing sense of anticipation over the debut of
what the Maple Leafs hope will be their top line this season.

But shortly after the puck dropped, any sense that Nik Antropov, Alex
Ponikarovsky and Mikhail Grabovski - or any other Leaf, for that
matter - had an answer for the Penguins began to vanish.

The defending Eastern Conference champs dominated the Leafs in a 3-2
final, a result that flattered the visitors.

The Penguins were without the best in the game as captain Sidney
Crosby sat out to rest a mildly sore groin muscle (he's expected to
play when the two teams meet again in Toronto Friday night).

Imagining what Pittsburgh would have been like last night with Crosby
was frightening. As it was, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal schooled
the Leafs in the level of skill, talent and confidence that champions
carry.

Malkin and Staal victimized Toronto with a shorthanded goal in the
second period, a marker that was an undressing for young Leaf defender
Anton Stralman.

Petr Sykora and Ruslan Fedotenko scored power-play goals in the first
on centring passes from the corner that banked in off newcomer Josef
Boumedienne and Stralman, respectively.

Ponikarovsky tipped in a power-play goal at 15:22 of the third, but
the entire line was not on the ice for the extra-man advantage.

The Leafs, down 3-1 late in the final period, pulled goalie Justin
Pogge and finished strongly with Grabovsky plowing into the slot and
shovelling in a goal at 19:49 to make it 3-2.

Despite the misleading final score, this one was all about the Eastern
champs looking great against a rebuilding Leafs squad that was
auditioning lines and young players as it gears up for a season of
hard work.

The Leafs were playing just their second exhibition game and the first
contest in which they sent their top line out for a test run.

Antropov and Ponikarovsky have been with the Leafs for eight years and
six years, respectively, and have been linemates for several seasons
now. Grabovski, whom the Leafs picked up from Montreal, came to
Toronto with high praise from management. He became an obvious choice
to centre the line with Mats Sundin out of hockey for the time being.

But last night, before an almost full house here, the line - like
every other Leaf forward unit - was given little room to get any
offence going.

Even without Crosby, the Pens iced a solid lineup. The team leaves for
Europe on Saturday to open its season with two games against Ottawa,
so GM Ray Shero has wasted little time getting his roster down to
season-opening size.

The Leafs managed just five shots in the opening frame, and didn't
register their second shot until the halfway mark of the period.

The top line was kept to the outside and largely neutralized. As a
result, it was only a matter of time before the Leafs took a penalty.
In fact, they took a pair of them - Jonas Frogren for tripping at 1:23
and Kris Newbury for roughing at 5:39 - and quickly fell behind 2-0.

Both power-play goals came from the identical spot in the right
corner. Sykora and Fedotenko flipped passes into the slot and saw them
carom in off Leaf defencemen Boumedienne, on the first goal, and
Stralman on the second.

It wasn't a good night for Stralman after that. He fell during a power
play while trying to make a sharp cut at the half-boards in the Leaf
zone, and coughed up the puck to Malkin, who worked a give-and-go with
Staal. Their wonderful passing left an open net for Malkin, who easily
made it 3-0 for the home team.

As long as the Pittsburgh Penguins have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni
Malkin, they will be one of the most appealing teams in fantasy hockey.

An ankle injury limited Crosby last season but, when healthy, his
production remains right up there with the best in the league. Given a
full season, he's a good bet to capture the scoring title.

When Crosby was out last season, Malkin elevated his game from star to
superstar level. Malkin has to figure out how to assert himself more
consistently when Crosby is involved too, but he's capable of carrying
any team.

Surrouding these two spectacular talents, however, the Penguins have a
number of question marks.

Petr Sykora finished strong after a slow start last year and his 63
points represented his highest total since 2000-2001.

Miroslav Satan is a talented player who was out of his element with
the Islanders and should be a better fit with the Penguins, but
there's a risk in expecting a 34-year-old -- no matter how improved
the circumstances -- to turn his game around.

The Penguins also brought in Ruslan Fedotenko from the Islanders and
he can be a streaky scorer, yet he's never surpassed 41 points in a
season.

Speedy winger Pascal Dupuis has been recast in a scoring role with the
Penguins and he scored 12 points in 16 games after coming over from
the Thrashers last year. If he can stick in a spot on a scoring line,
he'll have value. If he falls back to a checking line, he'll have
none, it's that simple.

Perhaps the biggest wildcard performer for the Penguins will be Jordan
Staal. While Staal has proven he can be a quality two-way centre
through his first two seasons, he could get an opportunity on Malkin's
wing which would give Staal substantially more value and put him in
position for a breakout offensive season.

One additional longshot to consider would be 26-year-old Finnish
rookie Janne Pesonen, who scored 78 points in 56 games with Karpat in
Finland last season. If some of the proven NHLers don't stick on a
scoring line, Pesonen may get his chance.

The Penguins defence is going to suffer early on while Ryan Whitney is
recovering from foot surgery, leaving Sergei Gonchar as the one proven
puck-mover. To his credit, Gonchar is among the most productive
defencemen in the league and that should continue that way.

While Whitney is out, there will be an opportunity for a young
defenceman like Kris Letang (or possibly even Alex Goligoski) to
emerge and earn power play time. Given the talent on Pittsburgh's
power play, it goes without saying that anyone who gets a plum
position on that unit is worth owning.

Whitney could miss a couple of months to start the season, which makes
it difficult to spend a pick on him on draft day, but in deeper
leagues with an injured reserve list, it's worth a shot.

After a terrific playoff, Marc-Andre Fleury is poised to join the best
fantasy goaltenders, so long as he stays healthy. With the kind of
offensive support that the Penguins provide, Fleury has a chance to
win 40 games (like he did in 2006-2007).

From now through the start of the NHL season on Oct. 4, TSN.ca
presents '30 Teams In 30 Days,' a quick glimpse at each NHL club as
the 2008-09 campaign approaches. Get the lowdown on every lineup,
storylines to follow and Scott Cullen's fantasy analysis. It continues
today with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins' ascension to the upper echelon of the National Hockey
League appeared inevitable, but few anticipated it occurring this
quickly. Thanks to a run to the Stanley Cup Final last year, the bar
has been set extremely high for this young team.

With Sidney Crosby coming off a Hart Trophy-winning campaign, Michel
Therrien capturing coach of the year honours and Evgeni Malkin getting
the nod as rookie of the year, expectations were high for the 2007-08
season. The team added some veteran leadership in the form of Petr
Sykora and Darryl Sydor, a pair of players with three Stanley Cup
rings between them.  They also took care of the future of the
franchise by signing Crosby to a five-year deal with a slight hometown
discount.

Despite a great deal of optimism, the Pens were very mediocre to start
the season, struggling around the .500 mark into December.

Interestingly enough, the turning point appeared to be when No. 1
goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury went down to an ankle injury, leaving the
duties to Ty Conklin and Dany Sabourin.  Instead of crumbling, the
team rallied and went on a tear, winning eight straight games in late
December and early January. Included in that stretch was a shootout
victory over the Buffalo Sabres on New Years Day in the Winter Classic.

Everything appeared to be going fine until Crosby badly sprained his
ankle in a 3-0 loss to the Lightning. Many predicted the Penguins to
go into the tank without their best player, but what could have very
easily been their death rattle turned in to a blessing in disguise.

With Crosby out, the entire team raised the level of their game - none
more so than Evgeni Malkin, who put the team on his broad shoulders.
After scoring only 15 goals through the first three months of the
campaign, Geno exploded for 32 goals in the final three months of the
season. Riding shotgun to Malkin, Ryan Malone also enjoyed a breakout
campaign, setting career highs in goals, assists, plus/minus and
penalty minutes.

The team then made a huge splash at the trade deadline by landing
Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from the Thrashers for Colby Armstrong,
Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a first-round draft pick. By the
time Crosby and Fleury returned to the mix, the Pens were a well oiled
machine, firing on all cylinders and capturing their first division
title since the 1997-98 season.

Full of confidence entering the playoffs, the Pens ran roughshod over
the Ottawa Senators; took out the New York Rangers and eliminated
their cross-state rival the Philadelphia Flyers.

But there was no storybook ending for the Penguins against the Detroit
Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. The team was to stretch out the
series to six games, but it was apparent that the Wings were the
better team. While the loss may have been heartbreaking, what the
Penguins were able to achieve throughout the season was quite remarkable.

General Manager: Ray Shero (3rd season)
Head Coach: Michel Therrien (4th season)
2007-08 Record: 47-27-8 (2nd in Conference)
Points Leader: Evgeni Malkin -106
Goals Leader: Evgeni Malkin - 47
Assists Leader: Evgeni Malkin - 59
PIM Leader: Georges Laraque - 141
Plus/Minus Leader: Sidney Crosby - 18
PP Goals Leader: Evgeni Malkin - 17
SH Goals Leader: Ryan Malone - 2

What they did:  The Penguins ensured that their core would be around
for a long time as they signed Malkin, Fleury and rugged rearguard
Brooks Orpik to multi-year extensions.  The team also secured head
coach Therien's services for another three years. They also took a dip
into the free-agent pool picking up a pair of new wingers for Crosby
in Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko, along with agitator Matt
Cooke. But the team's success meant that they were unable to keep
several key pieces.  The Pens were hurt deeply by Hossa spurning their
multi-year offer and taking a one-year deal for less money with the
team that eliminated them from the finals - the Red Wings. Conklin
also defected to the Wings after a career year to back up Chris
Osgood. The Tampa Bay Lightning - backed by an ambitious new ownership
group - decided to set up a Penguins-South franchise, acquiring the
rights to Malone and Gary Roberts and signing Adam Hall. The team also
lost Georges Laraque and Jarkko Ruutu to the Canadiens and Senators
respectively.

What to watch for:  The question on the minds of many people is
whether or not the Pens can overcome the hangover that seems to affect
every team that loses the Stanley Cup.  Though it is extremely
unlikely that the Pens will miss the playoffs altogether, could an
Ottawa Senators-type drop from last season be in the cards? A full
season of Crosby and Malkin should ensure that the Penguins will be
competitive, but the secondary scoring and depth of the forwards took
a big hit with the loss of no fewer than five regulars. The Penguins
are hoping for Jordan Staal to rebound after the dreaded sophomore
slump grabbed a hold of him early in the season and refused to let go.
  The talented two-way forward saw his goal production drop from 29 in
his rookie season to just 12 last year.  There has been talk of
shifting him to the wing on one of the top two lines in an attempt to
jumpstart his offensive numbers.

Pittsburgh also took a chance by signing both Satan and Fedotenko away
from the Islanders.  Neither enjoyed particularly good seasons, but
neither player skated on a line with Crosby, either.  That fact alone
should be good enough for a major jump in production.

The newly signed Matt Cooke should provide the aggravation to
opponents lost when Ruutu moved to Ottawa, but the team may miss
Laraque more than they would like to admit.  Eric Godard will replace
Big Georges' penalty minutes but the does not have the same presence
in the locker room nor does he have Laraque's ability to take a
regular shift without taking a bad penalty.

The Pens' blueline took a significant hit when they discovered that
Ryan Whitney would need surgery to repair a chronic foot injury,
sidelining the promising defenceman and power play quarterback until
at least January. The injury to Whitney means that the Pens will be
depending more than they would like on greenhorns such as Kris Letang
and rookie prospect Alex Goligoski, who have a combined 66 NHL games
between them. Softening the blow a little is the presence of Sergei
Gonchar, but he injured his shoulder over the weekend and could miss
time. Gonchar worked significantly on his play in his own end and is
considered one of the top two-way threats from the back-end in the
entire league.

Players and management all breathed a sigh of relief when Orpik agreed
to a six-year extension with the team. The bruising rear guard was a
revelation for the Penguins in their run to the Final, leading the
league in post-season hits and blocked shots. Sydor, Hal Gill and Mark
Eaton will all add veteran experience.

Between the pipes, this could be the year that Marc-Andre Fleury
elevates his status to the upper-echelon of starting goaltenders in
the league. Fleury's game is all about confidence and a deep run in
the playoffs should give him the tools he needs mentally to be among
the league's best this season. The Pens will no longer have Conklin to
lean on if Fleury gets injured or struggles. Sabourin will serve as
backup, but if Fleury develops the way the team hopes it will be very
unlikely that Sabourin starts in the 24 games he did last season.

Parting Shot:  Thanks to a young, exciting team and an extended
playoff run, the Penguins were able to shift the focus in Pittsburgh
away from the Steelers for a couple of months. For the first time
since the glory years of Lemieux and Jagr, hockey is a big deal in the
Steel City once again. But with that excitement come a lot of
expectations. The fans want the team to win now and management
believes they have assembled a lineup good enough to capture the Cup.
If they are able to do so they would be the first team since the
1982-83 Edmonton Oilers to accomplish the feat after losing in the
Final the year before.

Scott Cullen's Fantasy Analysis: As long as the Pittsburgh Penguins
have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, they will be one of the most
appealing teams in fantasy hockey

When the Maple Leafs play the Penguins here tonight, they will face a
Sidney Crosby who is the same marvellous player, but one more
comfortable with his superstar status.

Crosby, 21, is entering his fourth NHL season and captained the
Penguins to the Stanley Cup final last season.

The Pens were largely overmatched in the final against Detroit. As the
hockey world watched, anticipating a classic clash, Crosby never
really rose to the occasion, largely due to an ankle injury and a
nagging rib problem.

"It wasn't so much my ankle as it was my ribs," Crosby said.

"My ankle is good now. I rested my whole body over the summer."

The Penguins opened camp last week and made another big cut yesterday
– 13 players – to get their roster down to 29. There is a sense of
urgency because, after playing the Leafs back in Toronto this weekend,
they will join a convoy of four NHL teams on two private jets heading
for Europe as part of the league's expanded involvement overseas.

For Crosby, there has been very little time to straighten out some
details in his private life. He remains a tenant at the home of team
owner Mario Lemieux, a living situation Crosby has maintained since
his rookie season. He hasn't yet made his mind up about moving into
his own digs.

"It's more a matter of the place I do find being the right one for
me," Crosby said yesterday as the Penguins skated for about 90 minutes
in preparation for the Leafs.

"When I do move I definitely want to make sure it's the right place."

Crosby has a home in his native Nova Scotia, just outside Halifax. And
while he relaxed far away from his hockey home, the Penguins underwent
significant personnel changes.

Gone are unrestricted free agents Ryan Malone, Georges Laraque, Gary
Roberts, Jarkko Ruutu, Marian Hossa and Adam Hall. Three new forwards
– Miro Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko and Eric Godard – were brought in.

Crosby has only had a few days to find chemistry with Satan – his new
winger now that Hossa is gone.

"We should be good, he should be good to play with, he's a true
goal-scorer," Crosby said.

"Marian was a guy who'd go into the corner and dig the puck out. He
was a goal scorer too, but Miro is a scorer. Right now we're getting
used to each other and getting a feeling for how we play."

The Penguins appear to be weaker in terms of veterans as they prepare
to defend their Eastern Conference title. But the experience of having
the club's younger players play in a Stanley Cup final should serve
the team well.

"No matter who we brought in, or who left, expectations are going to
be high because we made it to the final," Crosby said. "Last year we
knew we had a good team, and knew there'd be a lot of steps. We're
approaching this year the same way, with a lot of short-term goals
because we know how long and hard a road it can be to get to the final."

PITTSBURGH -- He is 33 now, an aging sniper who scored just 43 goals
combined in the past two seasons with the New York Islanders.

Safe to say Miroslav Satan won't be confused with former Penguin
Marian Hossa.

But if there ever was a potion to revive a scorer's touch, it is the
assignment Satan currently has -- on the wing with Pens superstar
centre Sidney Crosby.

"I've played only one game so far, but it was fun to be on his line,"
Satan said yesterday.

"Obviously (Crosby) can make faster plays than most other guys, so you
have to be ready all the time. You don't have time to wonder what he
is going to do. You have to react and play and be on the edge all the
time."

After playing with a number of different wingers last season, Crosby
clicked nicely with Hossa during the Pens' run to the Stanley Cup final.

But when Hossa turned down a seven-year deal with Pittsburgh and
bolted for Detroit, Pens general manager Ray Shero went shopping for a
replacement and offered Satan a one-year deal worth $3.5-million US.

Crosby has been working with Satan and Pascal Dupuis during training
camp and so far likes what he sees.

"It should be good, it's one of those things where we've got to
continue to work with each other and get a feel for our tendencies and
things like that," Crosby said.

"(Satan) is a great scorer -- somebody who knows where to go, which
makes my job easier.

"You know the guy's going to be in front of the net."

The Maple Leafs will get a first-hand look at the newly formed combo
tonight as the Penguins already are swinging into high gear.

The team trimmed 13 players yesterday, leaving 29 on the roster as
they fast-track camp in advance of their early start to the regular
season in Sweden on Oct. 4 and 5.

"I'd like to play as long as it's going to be fun and as long as I am
healthy," Satan said. "This might be a great situation for me."

Sidney Crosby captains the Pittsburgh Penguins. He makes the plays. He
scores the goals. He sells the tickets. He fills the arena.

Plus, the 21-year-old NHL superstar is delivering the mail for the
organization. He went out Wednesday to personally hand tickets to
three season ticketholders, including David Disney, who has had
tickets since the team's inception. At Disney's house, Crosby got to
see a framed program from the first home game in Penguins' history —
Oct. 11, 1967, vs. the Montreal Canadiens, 20 years before Crosby was
born.

"For a guy like Sid to reach out personally to our season
ticketholders in this way says a lot about him, and what he means to
our team and our community," Penguins President David Morehouse said.
"It's one of the many reasons he is a perfect fit for Pittsburgh."

Nine other Penguins, including Marc-Andre Fleury and Brooks Orpik,
delivered tickets, along with coach Michel Therrien. But Crosby's
presence among the group would suggest he's still as gung-ho about his
importance to the game as he was when he arrived in the league three
years as the most talked-about rookie since Mario Lemieux.

Only three months removed from leading the Penguins to within two wins
of the Stanley Cup, Crosby comes back, maybe more confident, and
certainly with a more experienced team to lead.

The trend is to compare last season's Penguins to the 1980s Edmonton
Oilers, who were swept by the veteran New York Islanders in the 1983
Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers learned from that setback and went on
to win four titles in five seasons.

"To an extent I can see the comparison to the (1982-83) Oilers because
we were a young team playing a veteran Detroit team," Crosby said.
"But we took them to six games, and it wasn't a question of us not
paying a price. We left it out there. We didn't win, but we were
awfully close and we all know what it takes to get there."

In reviewing how the Finals played out, Crosby regrets only the first
two games, which were won by Detroit.

"We can learn from them because they are a great team, but I don't
think we need to change too much with regard to what we did," Crosby
said. "Line against line, we were fine, and they have great defense
and goaltending, and our defense played great and our goalie played
well, too. It came down to details. Maybe that's where experience
helped them because they didn't waste those first two games."

It won't exactly be the same Penguins team that Crosby leads this
season. His playoff right wing, Marian Hossa, is on the Red Wings and
Evgeni Malkin's top scoring winger, Ryan Malone, jumped to the Tampa
Bay Lightning. They have been replaced by Miroslav Satan and Ruslan
Fedotenko.

Just as was the case at the start of last season, the Penguins don't
seem to have enough scoring wingers to accommodate their two premium
centers.

"I don't think that's a problem," Crosby said. "It's up to (Malkin)
and I to make the guys around us better, but I don't see that being an
issue because we have a lot of guys who can score."

While the offense took some offseason hits, the Penguins' defense, the
most surprising aspect of their game last season, remained intact. The
team was able to keep Orpik, even though it seemed like he might be
able to earn more elsewhere.

"You can't win consistently without those guys," Crosby said. "Our D
were very strong. They weren't the flashiest group back there, but
they were really good at managing the puck, not making big mistakes
that can hurt you."

Crosby's plan this season is not to think about the arduous journey
the team endured in reaching the Finals.

"If you do that, you will be looking up a mountain," said Crosby, who
was limited to 53 regular-season games last season because of a high
ankle sprain. "One thing we did last year is we never got caught
looking too far ahead. We didn't think, 'What happens if we lose this
guy or we don't get this many points over the next 10 games?' A lot
can happen over the course of the season, and that's why you have to
keep everything in perspective."

Crosby has a reputation for being mature beyond his years, but he's
still planning to start the season, living with Lemieux, as he had in
his first three NHL seasons.

"I have been looking for a house since year," Crosby said. "I can't
find one. I want to be in a certain area (Sewickley, Pa.), and I'm
being a little picky because I don't want to buy a house and then get
another one in a year. I want to buy a house and be in it for a while."

That's a statement the Penguins are happy to hear, considering how
much Crosby does for the organization.

Even if his evolution were to suddenly flatline, and he remained the
exact same player for the next 15 years, Penguins captain Sidney
Crosby would go down as an all-time great.

His points-per-game average of 1.38 would dwarf those of Mark Messier
(1.07), Jaromir Jagr (1.26) and Gordie Howe (1.05) and trail only the
likes of Wayne Gretzky (1.92), Mario Lemieux (1.88) and Mike Bossy (1.50).

But you just know Crosby is looking to expand.

That's what the greatest of great ones do. They constantly seek to
enhance their repertoires. And for all he has accomplished by age 21,
Crosby still has plenty of growth potential. He wants to become a
better two-way player and penalty killer. His faceoff skills need polish.

Most significant is this: He could be a better goal scorer.

He'll likely need to be, if the Penguins are to get where they want to
go. He'll definitely need to be, if he is to claim the title of
undisputed best player in the world.

On the eve of Penguins training camp Tuesday, after his physical at
the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine on the South Side, Crosby
considered the numbers I presented to him on a piece of paper. They
showed his decreasing goal-scoring output from his first three NHL
seasons:

Goals per game:

2005-06: 0.48

2006-07: 0.46

2007-08: 0.45

Power-play goals per game:

2005-06: 0.20

2006-07: 0.17

2007-08: 0.11

Understand, the man already has two seasons of more than 30 goals,
which is two more than Peter Forsberg ever had. But the trend is apparent.

"That doesn't surprise me," Crosby said, "because, obviously, I look
to pass a little more than I look to shoot - and eventually, the less
shots you have, the less chance you have of scoring."

Indeed, Crosby's shots per game the past two years (3.16, 3.26) fell
below his rookie average of 3.43. And as Gretzky once said, you don't
score on 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

Crosby intends to reverse the trend.

"I want to keep opposing teams on their toes a little bit more," he
said, "and be a bit more of a dangerous shooter."

To that end, he has considered trying a curved stick, which can
increase shot velocity and overall sniping ability. But it's hard to
let go of the straight blade he was weaned on. It makes passing much
easier, especially on the backhand.

"I've thought about (using a curve)," Crosby said. "I'm always kind of
messing around with different sticks, but the stick I've used, I've
used for so long it's pretty difficult to change -- especially in a
month-and-a-half."

I wondered if it's fair to say Crosby is less confident in his
finishing ability than other parts of his game.

"I don't think less confident. No," he said. "I like my chances around
the net. I believe in myself. I know I'm capable of scoring goals. But
I also know that a lot of times my first instinct is to pass because
that's what's more natural to me. I mean, trying to see the ice,
trying to read plays, I'm looking where other guys are. Sometimes I
probably should be looking at the net or looking to find a shooting lane.

"I think that's something you have to learn with experience and having
that mentality. With time, I'll get better at that."

I don't doubt it, and I'd look at a legendary player from another
sport -- Magic Johnson -- as the ideal blueprint.

Johnson, like Crosby, began his career doing things no other player so
young had done. His special skill, as with Crosby, was as a distributor.

But in time, as the composition of his team changed, Johnson was
called upon to score more. So he refined his post game, developed an
outside shot and mastered the art of foul shooting. By his eighth
season, he'd upped his scoring average by five points, to a
career-high 23.9.

Gretzky is another example. He wasn't a natural sniper in the mold of
a Bossy or a Brett Hull, yet he scored more goals than any player in
the history of the game. He figured it out.

So must Crosby.

http://kdka.com/video/?id=46045@kdka.dayport.com
-delivering the tickets and talking about the new season, living with
Mario

http://kdka.com/video/?id=46050@kdka.dayport.com
web-only interview

PITTSBURGH â€" Sidney Crosby delivered for the Pittsburgh Penguins â€" again.

This time, he did it off the ice.

Crosby, coach Michel Therrien and eight other players hand carried season tickets to 35 randomly selected Penguins ticket holders on Wednesday.

Crosby, wearing a Penguins jersey and blue jeans, took tickets to Mount Lebanon resident David Disney, a season ticket holder since the Penguins' inception in 1967, and Karen and Guy Bradford of the Edgewood section of Pittsburgh.

"It's a pretty unique thing we do," Crosby said. "I think it's nice we do it."

None of the families were told in advance the players were coming.

Joining Crosby in knocking on front doors were Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik, Maxime Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, Pascal Dupuis and Jeff Taffe.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to say thank you," Penguins president David Morehouse said.

The Penguins sold out all of their home games for the first time in team history last season while reaching the Stanley Cup final. They also expect another full-season sellout this season.

Imagine that you're a Dodgers season-ticket holder and there's a knock
at the door. You answer, and Russell Martin or Andre Ethier is
standing there to hand over next year's tickets.

That's not a far-fetched notion for some season-ticket holders of the
NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, who reached the Stanley Cup finals last
season but lost to the Detroit Red Wings.

Several Penguins players, led by star center Sidney Crosby, and Coach
Michel Therrien this week made just such a delivery -- unannounced --
to 35 randomly selected ticket-holders around the Pittsburgh area.

"It's a pretty unique thing we do," Crosby said. "I think it's nice we
do it."

CROSBY SHACKING UP WITH LEMIEUXS AGAIN

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby has just about everything any man can
want: incredible hockey skills, a job that pays him $8.7 million US a
year, and good looks to boot. But the 21-year-old captain of the
Pittsburgh Penguins still doesn't have a home to call his own. "I've
been looking for a place for the last year, but I haven't found
anything I'm quite ready for yet," Crosby told the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. So Crosby will move back in with his mentor and Penguins
owner Mario Lemieux for another season. Lemieux took Crosby under his
wing when the young phenom joined the Penguins in 2006 as an 18 year
old. The arrangement has worked out well, with Lemieux teaching Crosby
how to handle the pressure of superstardom on and off the ice. In
return, Crosby has helped out by babysitting Lemieux's children.

The Hockey News released its pre-season top 50 player rankings this
week and Pittsburgh Penguins' captain, Sidney Crosby was at the top of
the list for the second consecutive year.

Despite the ankle injury that sidelined him for over a quarter of last
season, Crosby bounced back in the playoffs, tying Henrik Zetterberg
for the points lead.

Crosby missed 29 games last season, but was leading the league in
scoring at the time of his injury.  Despite the injury, Sid still
finished the season with 72 points in 53 games.  His points-per-game
average of 1.36 was nearly identical to the newly-crowned league MVP,
Alex Ovechkin.

At 21 years old, Crosby has played in just 213 games in his young
career.  However, Crosby is nearing some milestones.  His next goal
will be the 100th of his career, he is five assists shy of 200, and
six points away from 300 in his career.  Sid will likely meet those
milestones within the first two weeks of the upcoming season.

Other Penguins of mention in the Hockey News rankings were Evgeni
Malkin (9th) and Sergei Gonchar (28th).

Malkin exploded during the final half of last season, registering 54
points in the Penguins' final 36 regular season games.  In Crosby's
absence, Malkin emerged as one of the NHL's true superstars, and
earned himself a nomination for league MVP.

Malkin finished only second to Ovechkin in the scoring race, tallying
106 points (47 goals), while playing in all 82 games for the Pens.
Malkin tied for third in the NHL in power play points (40) and
legitimized himself as a dominant force with the man advantage.

Malkin's 15-game point streak during October and November was the
longest such streak ever recorded by a Russian-born NHL player.

With his 106-point performance, Malkin became just the 12th player in
Penguins history to register 100 points in a season, joining the likes
of Lemieux, Jagr, Recchi, LaRouche, Francis and Crosby, among others.

Despite yet another snub on the Norris Trophy ballot, Sergei Gonchar
turned in another impressive performance on the blue line.

Gonchar finished second in scoring among defensemen (65 points),
second in power play points behind Montreal's Kovalev, and led the
league in power play assists, proving his worth as the elite power
play quarterback in the NHL.

Gonchar has scored at least 50 points in eight consecutive seasons,
which is the longest such streak among active NHL defensemen.

Maybe next year Sarge will get some love on the Norris ballot, but by
this point in his career, I'm sure he is used to getting the snub.

Hockey star Sidney Crosby has become the youngest person to be named
to the Order of Nova Scotia.

The 21-year-old captain of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins will receive
the award in recognition of his skill on the ice and his support for
youth in his home province.

Crosby, who's from Cole Harbour, became the youngest player to win the
NHL scoring title, at age 19. He's the first person to receive the
Order of Nova Scotia in the youth category, introduced in 2007.

He joins five others on the 2008 list announced by Premier Rodney
MacDonald. They include:

     * Nora Madeline Bernard, the Mi'kmaq activist who launched the
legal battle to win compensation for survivors of native residential
schools. Bernard, 72, is receiving the award posthumously, following
her killing last year.
     * Ruth Miriam Goldbloom, driving force behind the restoration of
Pier 21 and fundraiser for numerous events,
     * Michael Dan MacNeil, Cape Breton community leader who launched a
forestry company that has been a key contributor to the economy for
three decades.
     * Thomas John (Jock) Murray, former dean of medicine at Dalhousie
University and past director of its multiple sclerosis research unit.
     * Mahmood Ali Naqvi, Cape Breton doctor who treated injured coal
miners and later helped to set up the Cape Breton Cancer Centre.

The six recipients were picked by the Order of Nova Scotia Advisory
Council from about 68 nominations.

A ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 8 at Province House.

Sidney Crosby cashed in last summer, and now hockey's Alex Ovechkin is
working to parlay his status as a rising star on the ice into a
feature role as a product pitchman off the ice.

Ovechkin, a forward for the Washington Capitals, was this year's
league MVP while also leading the NHL in scoring and goals. Fellow
third-year player Crosby, center for the Pittsburgh Penguins, had
similar success in 2006-07, when he was the league's top scorer and
MVP, and taking his team to the 2007-08 Stanley Cup Final. The two are
the NHL's biggest and youngest stars, but just how marketable are
Ovechkin and Crosby?

Can they break through hockey barriers and into the mainstream like
Wayne Gretzky, who built long-term relationships with companies such
as Ford, a brand he still represents 10 years after he retired? Or
will they be relegated to endorsements largely unseen outside their
local markets?

"Ovechkin certainly has enthusiasm and personality as his greatest
assets," said Bob Stellick, president of Stellick Marketing
Communications Inc., Toronto, a firm specializing in hockey and other
sports. "With the Capitals having some success this year, it has
certainly helped his profile. However, his English skills and the fact
that Washington is not a major U.S. market team — like New York,
Chicago, L.A. or Boston — doesn't help.

The biggest news story in Penguin-land during these dog days of summer
is Sidney Crosby's recent 21st birthday.

Oftentimes the success that Sid "The Kid" has enjoyed thus far in his
professional career has overshadowed the fact that, in hockey terms,
he still hasn't hit his prime.

Had Crosby been a "normal" person, he would likely be buying textbooks
in preparation for another year of college this August. He might be
compiling resumes or searching for job opportunities to pursue upon
receiving his college degree. He might even hit the bar with his
buddies to celebrate his coming-of-age, at least by American standards.

Instead, Crosby is poised to enter his second full season as captain
of the Pittsburgh Penguins, one of the NHL's hottest young teams. He
is ready to once again take on any challengers in pursuit of another
Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player. He is ready to lead the
Penguins back to the Stanley Cup Finals, with hopes of a different,
more favorable outcome.

Crosby turned 21 this past Thursday, and now seems like as good of a
time as ever to look back on just what "The Kid" has accomplished
during his three-year tenure in the NHL.

As a rising star in the Canadian junior hockey leagues, Crosby's
career points-per-game average of 2.51 was second in national history,
falling behind only the 2.81 points-per-game average posted by Sid's
eventual landlord, Mario Lemieux.

Crosby took the NHL by storm after being drafted first overall in 2005
by the Penguins. He hasn't looked back yet, and he shows no plans of
slowing down.

Before his 21st birthday, Crosby's list of accomplishments include:

     * Becoming the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points
in a season.
     * Breaking Lemieux's team rookie scoring record with 102 points.
     * Becoming the youngest player to ever lead the World
Championships in scoring.
     * Winning the Art Ross, Hart, and Lester B. Pearson trophies, and
being named a First-Team All-Star in 2006-07, at the age of 19.
     * Becoming the youngest player to ever win the Art Ross and Lester
B. Pearson Trophies.
     * Becoming the second-youngest player to ever win the Hart Trophy.
     * Becoming the youngest player to ever start in an All-Star game
since fan balloting began in 1986.
     * Becoming the youngest team captain in NHL history.
     * Leading his team to the playoffs for the first time in six years.
     * Leading his team to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in
16 years.

Though Crosby's list of accomplishments is something to be marveled by
hockey fans around the world, he described the Penguins' loss in the
Finals as "the greatest disappointment" of his young career, exceeding
the ankle injury that sidelined him for a quarter of last season, and
basically eliminated him from winning his second consecutive MVP.

The most amazing thing about Crosby is that, despite all the awards,
records, money, and sponsorship deals, he is still not satisfied.

His mild-mannered nature in front of the press off of the ice, and his
ferocious gamesmanship on the ice, combine to make Crosby one of the
most passionate, recognizable, and successful young athletes in any
major sport today.

He remains steadfastly focused on winning a championship, stating that
"I thought I was motivated before. It's definitely more now. Being
that close and not being able to do it-- it's just hard."

More famous, wealthy, and successful in his profession than most
21-year olds will ever be in their lifetime, Crosby has only just
begun a career that should end in his name becoming synonymous with
such legends as Lemieux, Gretzky, Orr, Roy, Howe, and Richard.

At 21 years old, Crosby's talents seem limitless. He has already
become, along with Alexander Ovechkin, the face of the new NHL. He has
proven himself worthy to be labeled as the best player in the world.
He has enjoyed more success in his first three NHL seasons than many
players enjoy in an entire career.

So, what will "The Kid" do for an encore? Only time will tell.

BleacherReport.com

Sidney Crosby's offseason training gets serious Monday when he hits
the ice. The only day he plans to take off between then and Sept. 17
-- the opening of Penguins' training camp -- is Thursday, his 21st
birthday.

Yep, Sid's days as a Kid are numbered. He will celebrate with some
junior hockey friends at a barbecue at his home in Nova Scotia.

"I can hold my own," Crosby said of his grill skills. "But one lesson
I've learned is to keep it simple."

Rarely one to look back, Crosby did just that in an exclusive
interview last week with Tribune-Review Penguins beat reporter Rob Rossi:

Q: What do you want for your 21st birthday?

A: I've thought about this because a lot of people have asked.
Honestly, I couldn't tell you one thing that I want.

Q: What does turning 21 mean for you?

A: To be honest, it doesn't change anything on the ice. Off the ice,
I'm able to drink. I look at it like this: At 19, I'm an adult in
Canada. Now, I'm an adult all the way around.

Q: So what adult beverage does "Sid the Kid" drink?

A: Jack Daniels or Crown Royal.

Q: How did being under the legal drinking age in the United States
limit your off-ice activities with teammates?

A: All the guys were great about that, actually. The good thing about
being on a young team is that all the guys knew we had three guys
under 21. Anything we did, we all could be a part of. I didn't miss
out on anything.

Q: What will you do better at 21 than you did at 20?

A: Play a full season, for starters.

Q: Fair enough. How is the right ankle?

A: It needs to keep getting stronger, but it feels good.

Q: What did you learn during your first season as team captain?

A: That I'm still learning. I'd like to be a better leader. I really
think it's a matter of recognizing things and using my experience from
last year to recognize when something needs to be said or handled.
There are certain moments when you have to be more of a leader. It's
hard to explain, but last year helped make me more aware of that.

Q: How would you characterize your first three NHL seasons?

A: It's been a lot of fun. I've had a lot of experiences, that's for
sure. We finished my first season 29th overall and worked our way up
to the Cup final. It's been kind of up and down, but more ups than downs.

Q: What has been your greatest surprise?

A: How tough it was for us the first year. There was so much being
said about how good we would be. We just struggled, and I didn't
really expect that. I expected us to compete and have a chance. But a
lot of things happened, and it was a big surprise because coming in, I
expected to go far.

Q: What is your greatest disappointment?

A: Being so close and not winning the Cup is still hard to digest.

Q: Was it at all surprising to come within two victories of the Cup
only two years after finishing 29th overall?

A: Well, we have a lot of guys that have been together since that
first year, and we'd been growing. We earned that chance. It's great
to see the attitude we have -- that we can be productive if we stick
together. We've proved we can do well without a lot of experience.

Q: Of what you have accomplished before your 21st birthday, what
stands out most?

A: Going to the final. We lost. It's not the best memory, but the
whole journey -- at the time it was awful that we lost -- but it was
fun and a great ride. That is something you want to go through as many
times as you can.

Q: Of what you have yet to accomplish before your 21st birthday, what
stands out most?

A: Not finishing the deal. It's hard not to think about it. Everybody
I see brings it up. I'm reminded by it everywhere. You always see
things on TV where guys had the Cup in their hometown. It's a constant
reminder. The memory of losing is not something that just goes away.

Q: How much more motivated are you to win the Stanley Cup after losing
in the final?

A: I thought I was motivated before. It's definitely more now. Being
that close and not being able to do it -- it's just hard. The quicker
you can get back and win it, the better.

Q: How did you react upon learning Marian Hossa would not re-sign with
the Penguins?

A: I was pretty surprised. He told me that he really enjoyed it in
Pittsburgh. He loved the team and the city. He never had one bad thing
to say.

Q: Have you spoken with Hossa since he signed with Detroit?

A: We've played phone tag, but I haven't talked to him yet. I thought
he liked it here. He was great to play with. It's too bad.

Q: What is your reaction when a former teammate that played alongside
you in the Stanley Cup final says another team gives him a better
chance to win the Stanley Cup next year?

A: To be honest, if you look at (the Red Wings), they haven't lost
anyone. We came within two games, but they won, and they haven't lost
one guy. Maybe on paper they have the best chance to win the Cup and,
in his mind, that is what he thinks. If you ask anybody else, that's
the way it looks. I'm not mad at him or anything like that. That's
just the way it is.

Q: Do you derive any extra motivation from his comments?

A: We have enough motivation in the fact that we came that close and
didn't win. Whether he said that or not doesn't matter.

Q: What is your assessment of the Penguins' offseason dealings to date?

A: It's been really good. It says a lot about the organization when it
signs long-term deals with players that have been here. It sends a
message to the rest of the team, too -- we have to do our part. That's
important and encouraging.

Q: What should the expectations for the Penguins be this season?

A: Every team plays to win the Stanley Cup. That's what we want coming
in, but there are a lot of things to be done before that can happen.
Our goal should be to be better than we were last year. It's no given
to reach the playoffs. You never look too far ahead. We have to keep
that approach that we did last year.


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_580833.html

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Rob Rossi looked at the calendar and noted that a the Penguins' captain's birthday happens to be coming up as Sidney Crosby was born on 8/7/87 (thus the number he wears).

In addition to asking the requisite questions about his 21st birthday that people who don't live near Canada (where, depending on the province, one can drink alcohol at 18 or 19) ask, he asked Crosby about his first season as Pittsburgh's captain, his take on the Pens' Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Detroit Red Wings...

(he says that there are "constant reminders" thereof), and his opinions regarding Marian Hossa's decision to sign with Detroit:

August 3, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Rob Rossi: Of what you have yet to accomplish before your 21st birthday, what stands out most?

Sidney Crosby: Not finishing the deal. It's hard not to think about it. Everybody I see brings it up. I'm reminded by it everywhere. You always see things on TV where guys had the Cup in their hometown. It's a constant reminder. The memory of losing is not something that just goes away.

And his take on Marian Hossa's decision to defect to the Wings:

Rossi: How did you react upon learning Marian Hossa would not re-sign with the Penguins?

Crosby: I was pretty surprised. He told me that he really enjoyed it in Pittsburgh. He loved the team and the city. He never had one bad thing to say.

Rossi: Have you spoken with Hossa since he signed with Detroit?

Crosby: We've played phone tag, but I haven't talked to him yet. I thought he liked it here. He was great to play with. It's too bad.

Rossi: What is your reaction when a former teammate that played alongside you in the Stanley Cup final says another team gives him a better chance to win the Stanley Cup next year?

Crosby: To be honest, if you look at (the Red Wings), they haven't lost anyone. We came within two games, but they won, and they haven't lost one guy. Maybe on paper they have the best chance to win the Cup and, in his mind, that is what he thinks. If you ask anybody else, that's the way it looks. I'm not mad at him or anything like that. That's just the way it is.

Rossi: Do you derive any extra motivation from his comments?

Crosby: We have enough motivation in the fact that we came that close and didn't win. Whether he said that or not doesn't matter.

Given the contrast between Crosby's "it doesn't matter's" during his Cup finals pressers and his actions on the ice, I'm going to suggest that he might be biting his tongue.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2008/08/crosby_weighs_in_on_hossas_def.html

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=2c19956f-0ba4-4196-9d41-610\
913750b92

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will celebrate his 21st
birthday Thursday, which means the superstar centre will be able to
drink legally for the first time in the United States.

"At 19, I'm an adult in Canada. Now, I'm an adult all the way around,"
Crosby told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

When he returns to Pittsburgh from his off-season home in Nova Scotia,
Crosby's first drink will likely be whisky. He said his favourite
adult beverages are Jack Daniels and Crown Royal.

On the ice, Crosby hopes with his 21st birthday, comes more maturity.

"I'd like to be a better leader. I really think it's a matter of
recognizing things and using my experience from last year to recognize
when something needs to be said or handled," he said. "There are
certain moments when you have to be more of a leader. It's hard to
explain, but last year helped make me more aware of that."

The Penguins finished second in the Eastern Conference last year and
went all the way to the Stanley Cup final, losing in six games to the
Detroit Red Wings.

"I thought I was motivated before. It's definitely more now," Crosby
said. "Being that close and not being able to do it - it's just hard.
The quicker you can get back and win it, the better."

However, Crosby, who scored 24 goals and 48 assists in 53 games last
year, isn't taking anything for granted.

"Every team plays to win the Stanley Cup," he said. "That's what we
want coming in, but there are a lot of things to be done before that
can happen.

"Our goal should be to be better than we were last year. It's no given
to reach the playoffs. You never look too far ahead. We have to keep
that approach that we did last year."

A yellow jersey hung back in a corner of the Penguins' locker room at
Southpointe yesterday. Center and captain Sidney Crosby didn't need it
anymore.

He joined practice without the non-contact look. It was another move
forward in his recovery from a high ankle sprain.

"[It was] kind of a step to see how it went," said Crosby, who got
hurt Jan. 18.

"It went pretty good. It's still something we've got to work through a
bit."

Crosby, who skated hard by himself Friday while the team was off, did
the same with his teammates and participated in all the drills. Team
physician Charles Burke watched Crosby through the workout.

"He looked really good," coach Michel Therrien said.

At one point, Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang got tangled and fell
to the ice. They slid past the net and into the boards, but not heavily.

"That same play the next time could be the one where you get hurt, so
you don't want to get too far ahead of yourself, and that's the way
I've approached it," Crosby said.

He began skating about two weeks ago and joined the team for practices
in a limited capacity nine days ago. There has been no update to his
prognosis, which means he's not expected back until at least the end
of the month.

"At this point, you don't really see much change," Crosby said of the
injury, which involves ligaments. "There's not much you can do as far
as improving it besides waiting."

By Rob Rossi
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, January 21, 2008

Sidney Crosby should know soon how much time he will miss with an
ankle injury.

Crosby, the Penguins' captain, will be re-evaluated by team doctors
Tuesday, and the club is optimistic it will receive a prognosis for
his expected recovery from a high right ankle sprain.

Crosby was injured when he crashed leg-first into the south end-zone
boards at Mellon Arena during the Penguins' loss to Tampa on Friday.
He was not in Montreal for the team's victory over the Canadiens on
Saturday -- their first in five games without Crosby since his debut
in 2005.

He will not play against the Washington Capitals at Mellon Arena tonight.

Crosby is one of three Penguins afflicted by a high right ankle sprain
this season. Forward Maxime Talbot recently returned from a similar
injury, which caused him to miss four weeks. Goaltender Marc-Andre
Fleury is entering his seventh week of recovery.

Crosby is almost certain to miss the NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta on
Sunday. He was the leading online vote-getter and selected to start
for the Eastern Conference squad.

The league has not yet announced an All-Star replacement for Crosby.
Teammate Evgeni Malkin entered Sunday ranked 14th in the league with
24 goals and 53 points. He is considered a favorite to take Crosby's
All-Star place and join defenseman Sergei Gonchar as Penguins
representatives in Atlanta.