By Chris Bradford cbradford@timesonline.com
June 5, 2013
JASON COHN / REUTERS
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (left) and Boston Bruins' Patrice Bergeron battle for the puck during the first period of Game 1 of their NHL Eastern Conference finals playoff hockey series in Pittsburgh on June 1.
BOSTON — Faced with the daunting task of overcoming an 0-2 hole against the Boston Bruins, the Penguins will need their best player — the best player in the world, actually — to resemble something closer to that.
Lately, Sidney Crosby hasn’t been his old self.
He’s been tantalizingly close during this postseason run. There was a two-goal game in Game 1 against the Islanders. There was a hat trick in Game 2 against the Senators.
With 15 points (seven goals), Crosby is still the fifth-leading scorer in the playoffs. Any player would gladly take those numbers. But Crosby isn’t any player and hasn’t been since he was a teenager.
With his pedigree — not to mention salary — the captain must be held to a higher standard.
And what Crosby has produced over the last three games -- one assist in Game 5 against Ottawa -- isn’t nearly enough.
In Monday’s 6-1 embarrassment on home ice, Crosby played what may have been the worst game in recent memory of his eight-year career. He admitted as much after practice on Tuesday.
“You know what, it was just one of those nights,” he said. “I didn’t do anything, didn’t change anything. I had the same mentality going in, and just felt like every time I got it the puck was bouncing or ended up giving it away.
“It’s not a good feeling, but at the end of the day those things kind of happen in this game, and it’s not always easy to explain, but you’ve got to make sure that you don’t let it happen again.” If it does happen again, the Penguins’ run comes to a crashing halt in the third round.
He committed twice as many turnovers (4) as the Bruins did as a team (2) in Game 2. None was worse or more ill-timed than the one just 28 seconds into Game 2 that led directly to the first of Brad Marchand’s two goals. Defenseman Matt Niskanen, expecting Crosby to make a play -- or, at worst, get the puck deep -- began to jump into the rush. But Crosby didn’t. And as has happened too many times to the Penguins against Boston, one small mistake ended up in the back of their net.
Perhaps no statistic is more damning of Crosby’s play of late than this: In 36 regular-season games, the Penguins’ captain was a minus player in just three. Game 2 against Boston marked the seventh time in just 12 games this postseason.
You can argue the validity of plus/minus as a statistic all you want (I would tend to agree), but you can’t suggest that Crosby has been on top of his game.
Yes, Crosby is still coming off serious injury (broken jaw). Yes, the ice at Consol Energy Center is fickle (OK, horrible). Yes, Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins have done an admirable job in disrupting (if not frustrating) Crosby. And, yes, Crosby needs help from his linemates (hockey is still a team game). But, as Crosby has pointed out on numerous occasions over the last month, “that’s playoffs.” There are no more excuses for this team which is expected to win now.
If the Penguins are to dig themselves out of this sizable hole, the best player in the world -- as always -- will have to lead them.
NOTEWORTHY
-- Dan Bylsma says he knows who it will be but wasn’t saying who on Tuesday. The goalie for tonight’s Game 3 is the biggest question surrounding the Penguins. After the Penguins’ 6-1 shellacking in Game 2, the coach absolved Vokoun of blame for three of Boston’s four first-period goals. Vokoun, however, was a little bit harder on himself. “I am a goalie, you’re there to make a difference,” he said. “I wouldn’t say they were bad goals but I didn’t make the stops and didn’t make the difference.”
-- As he has done throughout the postseason, Dan Byslma declined to make public his lineup for tonight’s game at TD Garden. Though the Penguins coach promised that some different line combinations would be forthcoming. “We have to get back to playing our game,” Byslma said. “Good defensive hockey, good away from the puck. That’s got to happen throughout our lineup. I think you’ll see some changes and a few guys added to our lineup to do so.”
-- Having overcome a pair of similar two-game deficits just four years ago to win the Stanley Cup, the Penguins remain confident they can comeback against Boston. Bylsma says the Penguins can use that experience but must take a pragmatic one-at-a-time approach. “We’re not happy with our game, we’re not happy with how that game (Monday) transpired or being down 0-2,” he said. “But our group, I think we’ve been real — got refocused today, got determined — understand exactly what we have in front of us and what we need to do.”
-- You may say C Evgeni Malkin is an optimist. If the Penguins can somehow get past the Bruins, the Russian feels his team would have an easier time in the final. “It’s a good test for us,” said Malkin, who remains stuck on 16 points to lead the Penguins in scoring. “Of course it’s hard, but if we beat Boston, we have a great chance to win the Stanley Cup.” Guessing the Blackhawks and Kings might have other thoughts.
-- The Penguins practiced Tuesday afternoon at CEC before shipping up to Boston for Games 3 and 4. Among those who didn’t practice were forwards Pascal Dupuis and James Neal along with defensemen Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin.
l Boston RW Jaromir Jagr is just one point away from tying Paul Coffey as the fifth-leading scorer all-time in postseason history. Jagr, who remains without a goal in the postseason despite picking up a pair of assists on Monday, is one goal away from tying Jean Beliveau for 10th all-time.
-- The Penguins are 33-20 all-time in Game 3 with a 21-10 record on the road.
-- This postseason the Penguins are 1-1 in Game 3 with both games being decided in overtime. They defeated the Islanders 5-4 at Long Island and lost 2-1 to the Senators at Ottawa.
-- Against Boston, the Penguins are 3-1 all-time in Game 3 while outscoring the Bruins 14-5. They have won their last three against Pittsburgh dating back to 1980.
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