Pittsburgh Penguins: 5 Improvements Sidney Crosby Brings to the Team

The Pittsburgh Penguins have won their 11th consecutive game and are 2-0 with Sidney Crosby in the lineup. 

Their last two victories have looked a lot different than their previous nine, though. 

They are absolutely annihilating opponents. They've outscored the Rangers and the Devils on the road, 10-4, and they outshot New Jersey 44-14 in this afternoon's game.

Crosby has five assists in his first two games back and has turned the Penguins into the most dangerous team in the league. 

His presence has brought a numerous amount of positive changes to the Penguins lineup. They're no longer just great, they're explosive.

Here are five improvements that Sidney Crosby has brought to the team and will help them win the Stanley Cup this season. 

Three Amazing Lines

With Sidney Crosby in the lineup, the Pittsburgh Penguins now have the ability to roll out three lines that can score at any time.

The lineup of James Neal, Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz remains untouched and still is the primary scoring line for the Penguins. Jordan Staal centers the second line with Steve Sullivan and Pascal Dupuis. Finally, Sidney Crosby is the greatest third-line center in league history, centering for Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy.

It's going to become difficult for teams to try to match up defensive pairings against the Penguins lines. The Pens are simply too good and deep. Opponents just don't have that many defensemen who will be able to hold three amazing lines in check. 

These lines all feature a player that are massive in size and hard to play against. Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke are all guys that make opponents uncomfortable because of their size, reach and agitating play, respectively. 

Flexibility

Let's just say opponents find a way to slow down the Penguins lines. 

Dan Bylsma has never been shy in changing up his lines. He can move things around in the middle of a game to catch a team off guard.

For instance, don't be surprised if Malkin is centering the Neal and Kunitz line at the start of the game, but ends up playing with Jordan Staal and Pascal Dupuis in the third period.

Meanwhile, Crosby can center the Neal and Kunitz line to provide a completely different look against opponents. 

Matt Cooke Explosion

Known for his infamous hits, Matt Cooke has changed his style completely this year. He hasn't gotten into any trouble and he's exploded for 16 goals this season.

Four of those goals came in the last two games when he was playing alongside Sidney Crosby. 

It's not a secret that Crosby can elevate anyone's game. He facilitates the job for his wingers and turns them into impact players.

Even Tyler Kennedy has had a few opportunities that he wasn't able to cash in on. Kennedy has struggled this season with just six goals—after scoring 21 last year. Perhaps playing with Crosby will make him more efficient. 

If Kennedy and Cooke can turn into scoring threats like they have been in the last two games, the Penguins will not be stopped. As mentioned in previous slides, three scoring lines is just too much for others to handle.

Throw in the fact that there are versatile players who play physical hockey and the Penguins turn into the ultimate nightmare of an opponent. 

Lethal Powerplay

Sidney Crosby has four power-play assists in the 10 games he has played so far.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are just 5-for-30 this season on the power play with Sid in the lineup. However, Crosby has figured in four of the five power-play goals.

While the Penguins overall power play hasn't really been stellar with Crosby in the lineup, there is no doubt that he takes them to another level. 

His puck possession skills are out of this world. The fact that he's so good at setting up others makes the Penguins power play absolutely lethal with Crosby back in the lineup. 

Confidence

With Sidney Crosby back in the lineup, the Pittsburgh Penguins are now completely healthy. They can now see what their true potential is.

Considering they won nine in a row before Crosby came back, they know that their potential is sky high.

The Penguins have blown two solid Atlantic Division rivals—the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils—out of the water in their last two games on the road. Wins like these against elite opponents give the Pens a huge boost in confidence. 

They've established an identity quickly with Sidney Crosby back in the lineup. That was after questions regarding the team's chemistry emerged. So far, Crosby's return has truly made the Penguins a better team.

They're going to continue to win and win big.