Good friends Crosby, MacKinnon square off
As the Penguins took the ice for their optional morning skate Wednesday, two kids raced down the steps to the front row wearing custom-made jerseys.
One half featured Penguins center Sidney Crosby. The other half was for Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. “CroKinnon,” one jersey said. “Macroby,” read the other.
In some ways, the jerseys summed up the marquee matchup Wednesday night, when two friends and training partners who call Nova Scotia home met at PPG Paints Arena.
“Whenever you play a really close friend, like Sid is to me, it’s fun,” MacKinnon said before the game. “We train together every day. It’s a cool experience for both of us. Hopefully, we’ll have many more matchups.”
In virtually every hockeyloving corner of the world, Crosby is universally admired — or at least respected. But that’s especially true in his hometown of Cole Harbour.
“I definitely idolized him,” MacKinnon said. “He grew up in the same town as me. Great role model for all the kids in my area.”
The two players followed a similar path to NHL stardom. Both grew up in Nova Scotia, went to Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a Minnesota prep school, and were drafted No. 1 overall.
As someone who has played with both players, former Penguin and current Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole has an interesting point of view on the two stars.
“I think they’re very similar in some senses and very different in others,” Cole said. “They’re both hyper competitive. Super, super competitive. I think that’s what drives them to be as good as they are and continue to get better every year, every summer, every practice, every chance they get. They’re pushing to get better. It’s something that on the ice, they’re very, very similar in that sense.” The differences? “When Sid gets off [the ice], he loses that intensity a lot,” Cole said, referencing Crosby’s unique ability to flip the switch off. “I think Nate carries that intensity off the ice a little. It’s not a bad thing. Nate’s always pushing to figure out a better way or ways to get better.”
New-look penalty kill
Entering this season, the Penguins knew they would have to make some changes to their penalty-killing unit because of Matt Cullen’s retirement.
And then they lost a second penalty-killer when Bryan Rust went down, coincidentally when he was hit by a shot while trying to kill a 5-on-3 power play. And then Nick Bjugstad, who was trying to become a penalty-killer for the first time in his career, went down with an injury.
All the movement has forced the Penguins to reshuffle some pieces. During practice Tuesday, Brandon Tanev, Teddy Blueger, John Marino and Jack Johnson were on the top penalty-killing unit. Only Johnson was here at this time last year.
Despite all the new pieces, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has been generally pleased with the penalty kill.
“We’re trying to encourage them to be a little more aggressive and be more of a pressure kill,” Sullivan said. “Part of that is getting an understanding of the concepts and the strategies so we can work collectively as a group. Then, we can become a little more instinctive.”
There haven’t been a ton of opportunities to observe the Penguins’ penalty kill in a live setting — which is probably a good thing. Entering the game Wednesday, the Penguins were one of the least-penalized teams in the NHL.
They had defended just 14 opposing power plays, which ranks tied for fifthfewest in the league.
Of those 14 opportunities, the Penguins had killed all but three (78.6%).
McCann out, Riikola in
The Penguins’ depleted forward group took another hit Wednesday as forward Jared McCann sat out with a lower-body injury. McCann finished the road game Sunday against Winnipeg but popped up on the injury report Tuesday. Sullivan labeled his status as “day-today” Tuesday and said Wednesday morning he would be a game-time decision.
The decision was to rest McCann, and the Penguins were forced to be creative to fill the gap. Juuso Riikola, a left-handed defenseman was in the lineup as a left winger. With McCann not playing, the Penguins were without five of their key forwards — Evgeni Malkin, Alex Galchenyuk, Bjugstad, Rust and McCann.