Mike Prisuta: Lessons Learned

Mike Prisuta
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, March 14, 2006

It's been an unprecedented rookie season, one in which Sidney Crosby has made a profound statement and received quite an education.

Now, with the optimism of October shattered and the Penguins hopelessly buried in the standings, Sid The Kid is merely trying to finish what he started.

"From what I've learned this year, the game's not played on paper," Crosby observed.

On paper, the Penguins were a promising bunch prior to the first drop of the puck back on Oct. 5 in New Jersey. Maybe not, in retrospect, imposing enough to proclaim themselves the potential "team of the decade," as CEO Ken Sawyer boasted in the preseason, but intriguing.

They already had Mario Lemieux, Mark Recchi and Dick Tarnstrom. And they had acquired Ziggy Palffy, John LeClair, Jocelyn Thibault and Sergei Gonchar, among others.

And they had drafted Sid The Kid.

Six months later only LeClair, Gonchar and Crosby remain from the Penguins' initial collection of headliners, and only Crosby has delivered as advertised.

"He certainly hasn't disappointed anybody," said Bob Errey, a two-time Stanley Cup-winning winger with the Pens and currently a television analyst on FSN Pittsburgh.

"Oh, my goodness yes," added Pierre McGuire, formerly an assistant coach on the Penguins' 1991-92 Cup champion and currently a national television analyst. "He's been even better than people thought he would be."

Through his first 64 NHL games (as of Monday morning), Crosby ranked 10th in the NHL in scoring with 31 goals, 43 assists and 74 points, including a combined two goals and three assists in back-to-back wins over the Devils and Flyers on Saturday and Sunday nights.

At 18 years of age and as a veteran of 74- and 86-game seasons with Rimouski of the QMJHL, it's not the length of the NHL season that's threatened to get to him at times.

The losing is another matter entirely.

"It's probably a little bit tougher than it ever has been just with us not being able to win as much as we were supposed to," Crosby said. "I'd say that's been the hardest part, just mentally going through that.

"I don't think it's that bad where you don't sleep at night, but it's tough being on this side of it. I don't think I've ever experienced being on this side of it. Every year I've played, I've won."
Every year except this one.

Despite the surprises over the Devils and Flyers, Crosby's Penguins continue to maintain the NHL's worst record at 16-37-12.

The onslaught of losses long ago cost head coach Eddie Olczyk his job and of late has inspired a reshuffling of the roster.

Through it all Crosby has been consistently spectacular, failing to register at least 10 points in just two of six 10-game segments - the manner in which "Badger" Bob Johnson used to like to analyze campaigns - through the Pens' first 60 games. During the first of those, Crosby endured a three-game scoreless streak (another first, as far as Crosby can remember). During the second, he missed his only game of the season (on Feb. 2 against Ottawa).

Crosby has three goals and six assists halfway through the Penguins' seventh 10-game segment of 2005-06.

"And it gets tougher as you go along," McGuire pointed out. "Everybody gets a book on you, and when you don't have a lot of help around you it's really tough, especially for a targeted guy.
"Obviously, it's a real difficult situation there. He's done exceptionally well."

With the spotlight on him throughout, Crosby has neither shied from it nor proved undeserving of the unrelenting attention.

He's sold out the United Center in Chicago, jawed with a fan in Columbus and been chased by taxi cabs full of overzealous autograph seekers in Toronto.

Crosby has been taunted by Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk, carved up by the Flyers' Derian Hatcher and mocked in print by Philadelphia's Ken Hitchcock.

Crosby has endured it all with a veteran's poise and perspective, taking over as the spokesman for the Penguins before Lemieux called it a career and handling off-ice issues that arose with Recchi, a linemate of Crosby's prior to being dealt to Carolina last Thursday with whom Crosby worked wonderfully on the ice.

No wonder The Hockey News designated Crosby No. 13 on its list of 100 People of Power and Influence in its Jan. 3 edition.

Crosby has demonstrated both qualities so far.

Now, he wants to finish the job.

"I just want to keep going," Crosby maintained. "With the way things have gone, with us not being in the playoffs, it might be easier not to have that same energy, not to have that same motivation as maybe the first half (of the season). I want to make sure that's what I don't lack.
"For our team, we have to challenge ourselves to win every night. If that means having to motivate yourself to be a spoiler or something like that, if that's the way you have to do it, then fine. For me, I just want to finish with the most momentum possible going into next season."
The possibility exists - it's a likelihood in Errey's estimation - that Crosby's current season won't end until after he represents Canada at this spring's IIHF World Championship tournament in Latvia.

Crosby's already looking ahead to next season.

And this time, his eyes are wide open.

"You can't speculate, especially as a player," Crosby said. "You can't look at the guy next to you. You have to push, everyone, and not just show up for a season or for a game and expect to win. You have to play the game on the ice.

"You have to work hard for what you want and what you get and you have to expect to do that. And you don't take anything for granted."

Crosby's learned that much this season the hard way.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at ptrsports@tribweb.com.