WASHINGTON — To aid the Penguins’ pursuit of a second consecutive Stanley Cup title— something that hasn’t happened in the NHL since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 — coach Mike Sullivan consulted the last bench boss to do it, Scotty Bowman, and picked his brain.
Sidney Crosby has gone a different route.
Crosby hasn’t arranged a face-to-face meeting with Steve Yzerman, his equal on those Red Wings teams. But Crosby has played a lot like the NHL player he grew up idolizing most, honing a two-way game that’s better than you might expect for a player of his skill, one that has bubbled to the surface on numerous occasions this postseason.