“a well-timed dive by Sidney Crosby”

This is something that Crosby does continually. He leans on the opponent he’s checking and, when the opponent stops holding him up, Crosby falls and an interference penalty is called.

I don’t blame Crosby for this but blame the officiating for not recognizing the tactic.

Posted by Ted from Innisfil, Ontario on 06/01/08 at 08:46 AM ET

True, I don’t blame Crosby for it either - or any other player who does it.  If it works, it gets his team a power play - if it doesn’t, then the play normally continues without stoppage.  As long as there is a chance the officials might call it, why not give it a shot?

The problem for Pittsburgh is that it’s only truly a good play if you cash in on the resulting man advantage, and they didn’t.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/01/08 at 09:08 AM ET

Crosby is taking on the whiny personality of his coach.  This series reveals he is still a long way from being the player and man that the media is presenting him to be.  He is still not an elite 2-way player in the class of Zetterberg and Datsyuk, and certainly not his boyhood hero Yzerman. 

The Kid should go back to school, get his degree, learn to play both ends of the ice, contribute on the PK not just the PP, stop whining, and then we can resume the conversation of whether he is the best player in the world.

Posted by RWBill from the train station climbing on The Hasek.All Aboard on 06/01/08 at 09:58 AM ET

To be fair, Bill, the pk is more the coach’s call than his.  Forwards in Detroit have since Scotty Bowman been expected to be good on the penalty kill (even Hull could kill a little bit), so they were expected to practice the pk and in games they were tossed out in those situations even if they made mistakes because that is how you learn.

As a result, you wind up with excellent two-way forwards because they work at it and have learned from their mistakes.

Despite Crosby’s talent, and despite his captaincy, he is still a young player in the league, and if his coach believes that he is best used only on the power play and at even strength, there isn’t much he can do about it.  If he goes to the coach and asks for more time on the pk himself, and the coach is lukewarm to the idea, that will be blown up in the media like crazy because it’s Sidney Crosby.

If he has a coach that expects him to kill penalties, and he practices how to do it, I think he’d be tremendous at it - he’s quick, reads the play well, and could easily use his stick to flip pucks out of the zone or control it under pressure for a short-handed chance.  He’s certainly a hard enough worker, and I think not teaching him that aspect of the game is doing him a disservice.

Maybe the Penguins need a new coach?

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/01/08 at 10:11 AM ET

Crosby is 20, he is in the Stanley Cup Finals which looks like they will lose. This will only make him a stronger person and a better player so look at Crosby bashers, you will eventually be forced to embrace him as “the best player in the world”. Again, CROSBY IS 20, don’t be jealous.

Posted by Wow on 06/01/08 at 10:18 AM ET

“If he has a coach that expects him to kill penalties, and he practices how to do it, I think he’d be tremendous at it - he’s quick, reads the play well, and could easily use his stick to flip pucks out of the zone or control it under pressure for a short-handed chance.  He’s certainly a hard enough worker, and I think not teaching him that aspect of the game is doing him a disservice.”

Agree totally Baroque but this is also the reason he should not have been MVP.

Posted by Ted from Innisfil, Ontario on 06/01/08 at 10:27 AM ET

I don’t know of anyone who is jealous of a player who is down 1-3 in the SCF.  I agree that the reason he is not on the PK is the coach’s decision, but there is a reason the coach makes that decision, that being it’s in the best interest of the team.  He’s not great on the defensive end.  Like I said, he’s not the Great One, Stevie Y, or Super Mario yet, no matter how much NBC and NHL, Inc. continue to market him as such.  He could be some day but his contributions to his team are not close to those of Zetterberg, Datsyuk who are complete 2-way players as all the truly great ones are.

Posted by RWBill from the train station climbing on The Hasek.All Aboard on 06/01/08 at 10:31 AM ET

Agree totally Baroque but this is also the reason he should not have been MVP.

A problem I have as well.

Defense is something that can be improved with practice, and maybe if a different coach doesn’t just accept his defensive deficiencies but pushes him to improve, he will become a well-rounded two-way forward instead of a player with fewer dimensions.

It will take time, of course - it took a long time for Datsyuk to become as solid on the puck as he is now - and the fans and organization will have to have patience with his mistakes.  The problem is that because so much pressure and responsibility is put on him, I don’t know if they will feel they are able to deal with short-term poor defensive efforts to reap the long-term benefits.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/01/08 at 11:05 AM ET

Just a minor quibble, but isn’t Therrien’s whining more incessant than insistent?
Although, to be fair, he did uncharacteristically
man-up for the post-game press conference. He’s still in the lower echelon of coaches in the league, however.

Posted by BobS. on 06/01/08 at 11:41 AM ET

Just a minor quibble, but isn’t Therrien’s whining more incessant than insistent?

I vote all of the above. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/01/08 at 11:43 AM ET

Therrien doesn’t play Crosby on the PK because he broke his foot last year blocking a shot on the PK, not because he doesn’t trust him.

Posted by steve from pittsburgh on 06/01/08 at 02:33 PM ET

Ahaha. Really. That is pathetic if that is truly the case.

Posted by pilgrim from Ontario Plates on 06/02/08 at 11:25 AM ET

Let’s hold off on crowning Crosby the King of Hockey until he deserves it. He’s got a bright future, for sure, but right now he’s a whole lot of potential and that’s it.

Posted by adam from Phoenix on 06/02/08 at 04:01 PM ET