Penguins rally behind city after attack

Sidney Crosby says VANCOUVER his team is standing with its city after an attack at a synagogue in Pittsburgh left 11 people dead and six others wounded.

Speaking with reporters Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain and Cole Harbour, N.S., native said the team’s thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

“Knowing Pittsburgh, I know we’ll stick together and rally around them and be there to support and help them any way we can,” said Crosby, adding the people who live in the city are strong.

“Just very proud people, proud of their city, proud to help in any way they can, whatever it is,” he said.

“I think (it’s) just a great community, a great city and a place that I feel pretty fortunate to be able to live.”

Head coach Mike Sullivan echoed Crosby’s statements, describing what happened on Saturday as a “terrible tragedy.”

“On behalf of the Penguins’ organization, we just want to express our condolences, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the tragedy in Pittsburgh that took place,” he said.

The mass shooting took place during a baby-naming ceremony at the Tree of Life synagogue and officials said one person — identified as 46-year-old Robert Bowers of Pittsburgh — is in custody.

Bowers appears to have made virulent anti-Semitic posts on a social media platform popular with extremists.

Following Saturday night’s game — where the Penguins won 5-0 against the Vancouver Canucks — the team tweeted out a video of goaltender Casey DeSmith, saying: “This one is for Pittsburgh, boys.”

The team announced on Sunday it would hold a blood drive on Monday, and would cancel its annual Halloween-themed festivities at Tuesday’s game, instead opting to hold a collection to benefit the victims of the shooting.