Is Sidney Crosby making Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary look good on what quickly is becoming the best line in hockey? Or is it the other way around? Are the kids lifting Crosby’s game and enhancing his reputation as the greatest player in the world?
I’m not smart enough to answer those questions so I decided to ask Crosby after their line combined for two goals and five points Friday night in the Penguins’ 4-1 win against Columbus in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. Crosby also picked up another assist on Evgeni Malkin’s goal just one second after a third-period power play ended to finish with a three-point night, the 11th three-point playoff game of his magnificent career.
“I’m trying to keep up with them,” Crosby said of his linemates. “They’re pretty fast and they’ve got a lot of skill.”
Same question for Sheary. Much different answer.
“Sid’s not giving himself enough credit. He’s got such great vision and makes plays all over the ice. He makes it easy for Jake and myself.”
I figured I would ask Mike Sullivan but decided it really wasn’t necessary. It’s enough to be able to watch the Crosby line work its magic.
“They’re three really good players,” Sullivan said. “I think they play the game with a lot of courage. They go to the battle areas. They’re determined guys. They’ve got great hockey sense. And they’re quick. They’re hard to defend. They’re elusive down in the tight areas. They’re really a dynamic line underneath the hash marks. They play that give-and-go game in tight space. They’re so elusive that they’re hard to defend. When they’re in that offensive zone, they’re as dangerous a line as there is in the game for me.”
The line has been terrific from the start, since Guentzel, still a relative NHL newbie at 22, came up from the minor leagues in mid-January for the second time this season. In the 13 full games Crosby, Sheary and Guentzel have played together, they have combined for 21 goals and 49 points. They didn’t get a point in the Penguins’ 3-1 win in Game 1 Wednesday night so it was hardly unrealistic to expect big things in Game 2.
“I thought they were a threat on most shifts,” Sullivan said.
It’s hard to be too effusive describing the first goal of the game by Crosby. Sheary, who seems like a veteran at 22 after having four goals and 10 points as a rookie in the Penguins’ run to the Stanley Cup last season, used his great speed to jump on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as he struggled to handle the puck behind his cage. Sheary surprised Bobrovsky, forced the turnover, somehow saw Guentzel in front of the net and got him the puck with a backhanded pass. In an instant, Guentzel kicked the puck from his skate to his stick and fed Crosby, who had a step on defenseman Seth Jones, for an easy tap-in into a wide-open net at 8:31 of the first period.
“It was a good play,” Crosby said. “A lot of hustle. Some good execution.”
It was more than that. It was the Penguins’ first shot of the game. It also set the tone for another long night for Bobrovsky, who should win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender this season but has been lousy in the biggest games. He came into the game with a career 2-7 postseason record, a 3.46 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage. He is 3-7-1 in his past 11 starts against the Penguins.
Guentzel also stunned Bobrovsky by scoring the Penguins’ second goal on a 2-on-1 play with Crosby just 0:51 after the Blue Jackets’ Brandon Saad had tied the score, 1-1, with a goal early in the second period. Crosby breezed down left wing and waited patiently before slipping the puck by defenseman Gabriel Carlsson to Guentzel, who was flying down right wing and blasted a quick wrist shot by the helpless Bobrovsky. It continued a hot streak for Guentzel, who had scored a goal in each of his final five regular-season games. There was no way that kid was going to be shut out in two playoff games in a row.
Speed is a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
“If we use our speed,” Sheary said, “it’s hard to handle.”
It almost felt like the game was over after Guentzel’s goal. The difference between the two teams is the Penguins have players who can finish and the Blue Jackets don’t have enough. Columbus has scored two or fewer goals in seven of its past nine games and nine of its past 12. Its power play has gone 1 for 28 in its past 16 games. It’s no wonder it finished the regular season on a 3-5-2 slide and is in a deep 0-2 hole against the Penguins with Game 3 Sunday night in Columbus.
The Penguins’ advantage in speed and skill should end the series quickly.
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter@RonCookPG. Ron Cook can be heard on the “Cook and Poni” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.
First Published: April 15, 2017, 4:15 a.m.
