Simmering Sid: Crosby Re-Ignites During Emotional Weekend

When I wrote last week about Sidney Crosby's atypically uneven season thus far, I had more than his scoring yield on my mind.

After all, how much can you truly complain about what will likely be a third 100-point campaign in four years, which almost absolutely would've made it four in a row to start his career if not for last winter's ankle injury?

No, my nitpicking was directed at the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain's all-too-obvious frustration about the downward direction his team was taking in the standings. Rather than channeling his emotions toward elevating his play, Crosby was irrationally lashing out, distracting himself and his team from the reason the game is played: winning.

Two examples of the negative energy Crosby was exuding during the Penguins' steady descent out of the Eastern Conference's playoff field: his well-publicized and rightly criticized Dec. 18 assault on Atlanta defenseman Boris Valabik's family jewels, and his ill-timed fight with Florida's Brett McLean on Jan. 3 that essentially killed any hope of a victory when Sid was sent to the box for roughly an entire period.

The first bizarre act of aggression went largely unnoticed since it occurred during a 6-3 win, but anyone who has watched the Penguins and Crosby since the lockout knows that such a cheap shot is out of character for the 21-year-old star.

He may irritate opposing teams and fans by opening his mouth more than most on the ice, but Crosby's trademark has become that of a super skilled grinder who battles through checks and plays a physical, yet clean, game.

The sight of Crosby pounding away at Valabik's nether-regions was a clear signal that something was amiss.

Battling McLean after teammate Max Talbot had just ignited the home crowd with a tussle of his own just deepened the impression that a disappointing month-plus had gotten the better of the Pens' usually single-minded leader.

Following an intense weekend that featured games at Philadelphia and Washington back-to-back, it's safe to say Crosby is back into a positive, constructive mindset and in the proper mentality to lead the Penguins as they push for the playoffs.

Like most changes, this return to form happened gradually. As January turned into February, Crosby stopped trying to be an enforcer and got back to being the type of otherworldly playmaker that helped push Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup Final.

Perhaps his renewed focus was brought about by the downtime created by a knee injury sustained Jan. 14, or maybe it was recovering from the effects of the flu that rejuvenated Sid.

The hiring of interim head coach Dan Bylsma and his installation of a more proactive, aggressive pace of play might also have done the trick.

Whatever the catalyst may have been, it's certain that facing off with the traditional rival Flyers and revisiting the coming-to-a-boil feud with the Capitals completed the metamorphosis.

With the now-routine chants of "Crosby sucks!" raining down from the Wachovia Center seats Saturday afternoon, Sid turned in his usual dominant performance against the cross-staters.

Four points later, including the game-winning, billiards-style, poke-in goal in the closing moments, Crosby and the Penguins earned a critical two standings points via a 5-4 thriller.

While the results weren't there the next day at the Verizon Center in D.C., the fire was back for Sid as evidenced by his sparring with Alex Ovechkin and refusal to accept the gang-style tactics of the suddenly boorish Capitals.

As a side note, if you don't think that I immediately regretted writing a couple of complimentary sentences about Ovechkin last week, you're wrong.

As I watched Ovechkin taunt the Penguins' bench after scoring for the second consecutive game, cowardly wave "bye-bye" after scuffling with Crosby, and generally act like a five-year-old during Sunday's nationally-televised game, I vowed never to write another kind word about the disrespectful lout.

And as far as his claim that he's an indestructible "Russian machine," let's wait until his charging/boarding penalties disguised as "big hits" come back around before we assume he can't be injured.

A 2-1-1 week aside, the Penguins still have much to do to truly insert themselves into the bedlam at the bottom of the East's playoff field, where three points separate the fourth-place Flyers from the eighth-place Sabres.

The Hurricanes and Penguins lurk only one and four points back of Buffalo, respectively, but if they have designs on crashing the party they'll likely have to win around 14 of their remaining 21 contests.

Indeed a tall task to ask, but the Penguins have to like their chances with an eight-game homestand awaiting in mid-March.

And oh yeah, that Evgeni Malkin guy is pretty good, too.

Make no mistake, the Pens have no chance of rallying from their midseason malaise without the honed-in, simmering Sid that showed himself this weekend.