Penguins new top line pulls off trick in win
his past four games. Sunday, he scored off a wrist shot, a backhander and a one-timer.
“He’s leading the league in goals, and that’s not by accident,” Conor Sheary said. “He’s shooting the puck from everywhere and he’s beating the goalies a lot. Getting the puck in his hands is never a bad thing.”
They clearly did that effectively against the Panthers. Crosby’s three goals came after Patric Hornqvist put the Penguins up, 1-0, in the first period with a swinging goal on a puck in midair. From that point, the Penguins used some stingy defense, Marc-Andre Fleury’s 21-save shutout and, of course, Crosby’s scoring to close out the win.
Coach Mike Sullivan called Crosby “the glue that holds that line together.” While he did the scoring Sunday, he also has been just as comfortable setting up Sheary and Jake Guentzel for the finish, with four assists in the six games they have played together.
In fact, Sullivan said, one of the greatest strengths of the line is that all three can score, pass and defend when called upon.
“I don’t think one’s a scorer or one’s a passer,” Sullivan said. “I think they’re hockey players, and they just play hockey. When the shots are there to be taken, they shoot. When it isn’t and somebody’s open, I think they have the vision and the awareness, they see it.”
For Sheary, playing alongside Crosby is nothing new. When Guentzel joined the line last week in Western Canada, Sheary said he didn’t have too many specific instructions for how to play alongside a superstar like Crosby, mostly just sticking to the common hockey refrain of “play your game.”
Still, Guentzel, 22, grew up watching Crosby play on television, so lining up next to him was a new experience.
“It’s crazy,” Guentzel said. “Sometimes you get caught staring, but you’ve got to just play your own game out there.”
Guentzel wasn’t staring too much Sunday, and Crosby noted that he thought Guentzel was getting more and more comfortable with his role on Crosby’s left wing.
“I think [we’re] just trying to communicate and talk out plays,” Crosby said. “I think their games speak for themselves. As long as we continue to get better, then we’ll continue to get chances.”
They certainly got their chances Sunday, and Crosby converted. Again. And Again. And Again.