Sidney Crosby and the Penguins don’t need extra motivation at this stage of their season, but Crosby says he finds more fuel anyway whenever he gets to face his Halifax buddy Nathan MacKinnon.
“To compete against him, I think it’s always a big challenge,” the 35-year-old Pittsburgh captain said before facing the Avalanche. “I think it’s probably even bigger, especially the way he’s playing right now.”
That wasn’t at all a backhanded compliment, but Crosby made sure it was accompanied by one of his signature backhand shots. He scored a highlight-worthy opening goal in the Penguins’ 5-2 win Wednesday night to snap a six-game Avalanche win streak.