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Sidney Crosby has only one thing on his mind right now
Photo credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby wants one thing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, a postseason return, and his 1,400th game is just background noise.
Crosby is set to play NHL Game 1,400 on Monday in Seattle, his 700th regular-season road game.
The milestone is huge on paper, but he's basically brushing it off.
On NHL.com, Crosby said he doesn't think about it «that way,» and that it's about helping the team win hockey games.
That's vintage Sid, even when the numbers are screaming at you.
Because the numbers are still there.
Crosby leads Pittsburgh with 53 points on 26 goals and 27 assists in 47 games.
And the team is actually in a race, which is why he keeps steering the conversation back to points, not plaques.
Penguins coverage has them at 22-14-12 entering the Kraken game, right in the Metro mix.
Sidney Crosby keeps the Penguins locked on one goal
As a fan, I love that stubborn edge, it feels like Crosby is daring the season to blink first.
Crosby even said the stats are «nice,» but only if the Penguins land back in the playoffs.
He talked about how important every point is and how fun it is to be in a standings race again.
That line hits harder when you look at how Pittsburgh keeps leaving points behind.
StatMuse has the Penguins at 1-0-7 in shootouts, and that's a painful way to bleed ground over months.
What makes Crosby's approach work is it's not speeches, it's habits.
He still wins hard draws, gets above pucks early, and turns one clean touch into 25 seconds of ozone time.
So Monday isn't really about 1,400, at least not in his head.
It's about playing a sharp road game, taking what's there on special teams, and giving the Penguins another night where the standings move their way.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 19|121 ANSWERS Sidney Crosby has only one thing on his mind right now Do you buy Sidney Crosby's mindset that personal milestones only matter if the Pittsburgh Penguins keep winning? | ||
| Totally | 93 | 76.9 % |
| Mostly | 20 | 16.5 % |
| Not really | 8 | 6.6 % |
| List of polls | ||