Kid Crosby Transcript

Q. Wonder what your weariness factor is for talking about the Flyers and how mean they might be starting tomorrow night? Whether you've grown weary of talking about what the series might be?

SIDNEY CROSBY: No, I mean, you expect it to be physical. But that's the playoffs. We know that there's a rivalry, but as far as being afraid of anything, no. I mean, you expect to be physical, and hard-nosed hockey, like most playoff series. But I don't think anything more.

Q. Some have compared your game this playoff to Steve Yzerman as he developed when the Red Wings started to win ups and become more of a complete player. Do you like that comparison, obviously you might, but do you feel that you've become more of that complete hockey player?

SIDNEY CROSBY: I'd like to think so. Still have a lot to learn. But I think, you know, I think with each year you play you try to improve everything, and you realize how important every detail of the game is and what a difference it makes when you're playing. It might not always show up on the score sheet, but those are little thing that's help your team win and are important to show and lead by example with.

So, you know, for sure I like to worry about detail things. This playoffs, you know, personally, I've had some good games, had some okay ones. But I've been pretty happy overall.

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SIDNEY CROSBY: I think that's a good comparison. But I think with Evgeni (Geno), you know, I wouldn't take anything away from Forsberg because he's an amazing hockey player. But Geno's got a shot that can also make him very dangerous, and I think Forsberg was more of a playmaker and scored a lot more in-tight, whereas Geno can make you pay with a Slapshot from the blue line or one time or something like that.

So I'd say that's a good comparison. Anyone to be compared to Forsberg, I think that's saying something. But I think even on top of that, Geno brings a pretty dangerous shot.

Q. Can you run through your history playing both with and against Mike Richards?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, I played with him at the World Juniors when I was 16 and 17, and he was our captain the year we won. I think it was '05. You know, a great leader, a really complete player. As for playing against him, I played against him for a few years now, and have seen him a lot over those three years. He's a great player. I mean, defensively he's responsible, also he's able to score. So when you're playing against a guy like that you have to be aware.

Q. Kind of an evolution when you played with him on the Canadian team, he was a veteran, and you were sort of a kid in that situation. You started faster than him in the NHL, now he's doing a whole lot of catch up?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, I mean, I don't think I look at it that way. We've played in the league the same amount of time. You know, for him he's really established himself as a great player in this league, a reliable one, a responsible one. I'm sure one day he'll be the captain of that team. He's a great player, and a lot of things I think I've seen with him at World Juniors, he's brought into the NHL. You know, it's not surprising that he's playing as well as he is.

Q. How do you think your personality has rubbed off on this team this year and allowed it to take the approach it's taken through the playoffs?

SIDNEY CROSBY: I think all the guys are what make our team so special. Me, personally, I think I've always tried to lead by example. I think we have a lot of personalities, and the main thing is the guys' attitudes. If you have a bunch of guys like we have with the right attitude, we're going to push each other to be better. We're going to push ourselves to win, and we're going to be better for that. And I think you've seen throughout the year we've faced a lot of adversity and the attitude of our guys is a big reason why we've had success. So, you know, personally I try to lead by example, but it takes everyone.

Q. First of all, why did you guys not want to quit or maybe you did when Michel took over and he's called out this team and went public and said how bad defensively it was. Then the other question, has he changed much since he's taken over in his coaching style?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Well, I think when he was outspoken, I think in that scenario, he wasn't wrong. I mean, we weren't playing well. We weren't playing the right way. We didn't deserve to get rewarded the way we were playing with our attitude.

You know, sometimes you can't always be nice about everything and sugarcoat everything. It was what it was, and we knew we had to be better. So I don't think he's really changed a whole lot, but I think as players we understand what's asked of us now. You know, when a coach first comes in maybe it takes some time to feel out different situations and what's going to happen. But you know, it's great with the transition with him because we've had a lot of guys that we've played under before. And we were all kind of able to talk among ourselves and know what to expect. And really, just once guys are going to work every day and expecting nothing but the best, and I think that's fair.

Q. You're a little young for this, but there's a lot of talk that there's been parallels drawn between your team this year and the early years of the Edmonton Oilers in the '80s. How does that comparison work for you?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Well, we have a lot more to prove, I think before we can try to put ourselves in that category. But I can see the comparisons with the youth of our team with the group of exciting players we have, and maybe the style of play. I mean, you know, we have a lot of guys that are fun to watch, starting with Marc, some young players with Gonchar and the Whitneys on D, and up front, obviously, Geno, and Bugsy (Ryan Malone), and all these guys. There's a lot of people on our team that are fun to watch. I'm sure with that team that was the case, too. But I think it's more so the youth and the excitement around our team that's probably comparable to that.

Q. People on the outside say if you could stop yourself and Malkin, it gives the other team the best chance of winning. The Flyers have plenty of talent. But can you name one or two, just one or two that gives your team the best chance of winning this series, that you have to stop?

SIDNEY CROSBY: If we go on this year, I would say Umberger and the way he's playing right now. If you go with the percentages, I'd say he's one of those guys. But, I mean, (Mike) Knubles, the (Jeff) Carters, to be honest, you can't really pick two guys on their team.

You look at their first three lines, and it's pretty balanced if you look at the production. They've got a great power play, so I'd be hard-pressed to give you two guys.

Q. Derian Hatcher said he kind of senses that he gives you problems while on the ice. Your rookie year he knocked a couple of your teeth out. Of what's it like playing against him? And have you learned something about him that can help you?

SIDNEY CROSBY: It's always a great challenge playing against him. He's obviously a big guy and takes up a lot of space out there. But I think you look forward to those challenges with any defensive pairing you play with. I mean, I don't think personally I'd try to change anything.

I haven't felt like I've had to change anything when I've played against him more so when I play against any other guys. So for me I'm not trying to try to change anything. He's obviously a big guy, he's strong, and you have to find ways to get around him.

Q. To go back to the Oilers comparison, there was almost a giddy, cockiness about that team even before they won anything. It was like they knew they were good, they knew they were having fun and they did it that way. How would you compare what this team is like knowing what that team is like?

SIDNEY CROSBY: We're confident in each other. I don't think we're cocky. Maybe that team wasn't cocky either, maybe that's just how they were portrayed. But we're a confident group of guys who believe in each other. And we push each other. But you can't afford to be cocky.

I mean, it might have been different then, too. You know, the league is so competitive now. Maybe then they were going into a building that night and they knew they could play okay and still win. That's not the case in the league anymore. You can't get away with that.

So I think for us, we're confident in each other, but nothing beyond that.

Q. They didn't seem to feel pressure. Do you guys?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, I mean, the pressure we feel is what we put on ourselves. We think we have a lot of individual players who have been in pressure situations. And even though they're young, I think we all try to apply that to any situation now.

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