By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby(notes) (87) skates off the ice with his finger to his face after being hit during the third period against the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington. The Penguins won 6-2 . (AP)WASHINGTON -- There's a lot in what Sidney Crosby doesn't say.
Words, and even gestures, are superfluous when it comes to fulfilling his role as the Penguins' captain.
"Sid doesn't need to say anything," teammate Max Talbot said. "Sid's got this look in his eyes that you just follow. He won't say, 'We've got to work harder.' "
That look was in full force last night, when Crosby had two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win against Washington in Game 7 of the Penguins' second-round playoff series.
It was a game that, at least in the short term, gave Crosby the upper hand in what for years could be a personal rivalry with Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin.
Not that Crosby wanted to come within a mile of gloating.
"It feels good just because of the way the series went, not particularly because it was me and him," Crosby said. "I don't know that I was that much happier because there was a bit of a spotlight there. It was just nice to win.
"There were a lot of eyes on the series. It was a battle for both teams. We both wanted to make sure we did a good job. He's a great hockey player."
Ovechkin, 23, the NHL scoring champion of 2007-08, is the defending MVP of the league and a candidate to win that Hart Trophy again. Crosby, 22, won both honors two years ago. There were other players to watch in this series, including current scoring champion and Hart finalist Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins.
But there was no getting around the Crosby-Ovechkin angle.
The two matched hat tricks in Game 2, a 4-3 Capitals win. Crosby led his team in the series with 13 points, including eight goals. Ovechkin led the series with 14 points, also including eight goals.
It wasn't just those outside the teams who watched the matchup.
Talbot and winger Tyler Kennedy discussed it last night and decided when it comes to Crosby, the eyes have it.
"Sid's a great player. Ovechkin's a great player. [Malkin's] a great player," Talbot said. "But you look at the way Sid leads. ... Sid has that fire in his eyes. Ovechkin has got it, too, but by winning that game, Sid won that battle."
Pittsburgh Penguins' Bill Guerin(notes) (13) celebrates his goal with Chris Kunitz(notes) and Sidney Crosby(notes) (87) against the Washington Capitals during the second period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Washington.(AP)This was a series that, judging from big TV ratings, drew in some marginal hockey fans. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang figured that gave more people a chance to learn what he already knew.
"Sid, for me, is the best player in the world, and he showed everyone tonight," Letang said. "When it's time to raise his level, he does."
Crosby opened and closed the scoring for the Penguins, getting a power-play goal to make it 1-0 at 12:36 of the first period and another on a breakaway at 2:02 of the third period to make it 6-1.
By then, Troy Crosby, watching from the stands, knew his son's extra drive had paid off.
"He was always focused, but I think this series he was even a little more focused," Troy Crosby said. "I think he's getting more mature, more experienced, becoming more of a leader as he gets to be more of a veteran player. And I think he was maybe a little more driven because of the series."
Between Crosby's goals, the Penguins built a 5-0 lead before Ovechkin got his only goal of the game with just 1:51 left in the second period.
Without saying anything aloud, Crosby let his teammates know that was not acceptable and that the Capitals would not be allowed back into the game.
"After the second [period], we came in the room -- after we got scored on before the end of that period -- and you could tell," Talbot said. "His look was, like, 'Let's get this straight -- we've got to play.' "
That made it a little easier for the Penguins to win Game 7 after missing a chance to close out the series at home in Game 6.
Perhaps the highest compliment came not from Crosby's camp but from Simeon Varlamov, the rookie Washington goaltender who performed superbly through most of the series.
"The way Crosby played in this series," Varlamov said through a Russian interpreter, "they should build a monument to him."
Shelly Anderson can be reached at shanderson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1721.
First published on May 14, 2009 at 2:41 pm
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