Sidney Crosby on Wednesday got a sellout crowd roaring with a no-look pass to Nathan MacKinnon for a slam-dunk power-play goal in the first minute then he sent Canada fans home happy by assisting on Mitch Marner’s overtime winner.
Crosby showed that he has still got it at age 37, getting three assists to beat Sweden 4-3 in a thrilling opener of the 4 Nations Face-Off, with Finland and the US the other two teams. It was just the latest masterclass by Crosby, a two-time Olympic champion who brought his best to the return of elite international competition featuring the NHL’s top players.
“It’s no coincidence his record of when he’s wearing a Canadian jersey,” coach Jon Cooper said. “It’s not a fluke. He will go down as the greatest player to ever represent his country. If not, he’s going to be on the Mount Rushmore, for sure, of people that have thrown the Canadian jersey on.”
Photo: AFP
Fans who chanted the name of Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux during a pregame ceremony shifted to “Crosby, Crosby” throughout the night and after he set up Marner’s goal 6 minutes, 6 seconds into three-on-three overtime.
“As someone who loves to play in environments like that, I grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan and to have an ovation like that here was really special and something I’ll always remember,” Crosby said.
Crosby along with Connor McDavid were among the top skaters on the ice throughout. McDavid picked up the secondary assist on MacKinnon’s goal and was buzzing all over and around Sweden’s defenders.
Brad Marchand also scored for Canada to incite cheers at the home arena of the Canadiens, where the Boston Bruins captain is far more used to being the villain. Of course there were a few boos when his name was announced, too, to keep with tradition.
Marner, also usually not loved in Montreal because he plays for the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, got to bask in cheers — and the fact that his childhood idol set up the biggest goal of his career.
“You tell 13-year-old Mitch that he scored an overtime goal assisted by Sidney Crosby, the guy he looked up to since day 1, it’s pretty crazy,” Marner said. “I really just tried to enjoy the moment after. The building was rocking and it was nice to have them cheering for me instead of against me.”
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