Sidney Crosby
Watching Sidney Crosby on the ice, it would seem he has eyes in the back of his head. And on the sides. The Pittsburgh Penguins long-time captain seems to also have keen vision in terms of where the club stands after the 2025-26 season.
PHN posed a question to Crosby Friday on locker-cleanout day about the dichotomy of a regular season that was much better than predicted and yet a first-round loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs.
“We probably surprised a lot of people, just the way we came together, the energy that we played with, just a really great group,” Crosby said. “It was fun to come to the rink every day, especially when you’re winning and you’re starting to see everything come together. That’s really cool to be a part of. It doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes it works out the other way where expectations are high and you don’t deliver. I feel like as a group we probably did a lot more than people expected, so I think that’s something to be proud of, but also it still stings that we feel like we could be playing in Game 7 here.
“When you look at the season as a whole, there’s a lot to be proud about there.”
The Penguins rallied from an 0-3 deficit against the Flyers with two wins, but they could not force a Game 7 — which would have been Saturday at home — by falling 1-0 in overtime in Game 6 on Wednesday.
Looking back, the Penguins were widely expected to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season and perhaps snatch a good draft lottery slot. Instead, they finished in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 98 points.
“I think we took some good steps,” Crosby said. “Just the way we came together — guys stepped up individually. You look at it, a lot of guys had career years, so I think that’s a reflection of guys’ individual play, but also as a group – the coaching staff, management. Everyone deserves a lot of credit for that, but it’s a step. You’ve got to continue to grow and get better. It’s a starting point for sure.”
Meanwhile, Crosby touched on a few other topics:
#He said he has no lingering effects of the knee injury that knocked him out of the Olympics and does not need any surgery or other offseason procedures. “Physically I feel really good,” he said.
#He has not “even had any discussions” about joining Team Canada for the IIHF world championships starting May 15 in Switzerland.
#After his record 21st straight season averaging at least a point a game (29 goals, 74 points in 68 games), he offered this self-assessment: “I feel like I’m always evaluating that, even within the season. With a long season, being injured, that sort of thing. There were points where I felt like I played good and parts that I felt like I wanted to be better. Overall, pretty happy with it.”
#With one season left on his contract, he is taking a wait-and-see approach. He is eligible to sign an extension this summer. He also will turn 39 this summer. “As far as how long I want to play, I don’t know,” he said. “It’s tough. It’s one of those things that it’s a year-to-year thing and how you feel, but I feel pretty good overall and I’m happy generally with the season.”
Tags: Pittsburgh Penguins Shelly Anderson Sidney Crosby
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