"It's just math," Canada hockey coach Mike Babcock said after he selected Sidney Crosby to take a penalty shot that had initially been awarded to Rick Nash. At the time, there was no argument against Babcock's decision.
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Crosby probably wouldn't get penalty shot call against Russia
- February 24, 2010 4:26 PM |
- By Michael Traikos
Story provided by
VANCOUVER -- "It's just math," Canada hockey coach Mike Babcock said after he selected Sidney Crosby to take a penalty shot that had initially been awarded to Rick Nash.
At the time, there was no argument against Babcock's decision. Crosby had already scored one shootout goal on two attempts against Switzerland and entered the Olympics having gone 6-for-8 in NHL shootout attempts this season. Nash, meanwhile, was 4-for-11 this season.
But Crosby had his backhand deke stopped by German goaltender Thomas Greiss, causing some second-guessing.
"When [Crosby] didn't score, you wish you didn't do it," said Babcock. "But in saying that, the game was 4-0 at the time and it's one of those things where the stats show Crosby has a better chance to score.
"So it's real simple. To me it's all about winning. Like I said to Nash, you do all the work and you don't get to take the shot. I said that right to him. The reality is this is about Canada and not about me, not about Nash, it's about scoring."
Chances are if Canada gets into a similar situation in its quarterfinal game against Russia on Wednesday, Babcock will not be turning to Crosby, who has never attempted a shootout against goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.
Instead, he might be looking to a pair of Anaheim Ducks.
Corey Perry is a perfect 2-for-2 against Russian goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, while Ryan Getzlaf is 2-for-4. Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathon Toews is 1-for-1.
About the Author
- Bruce Arthur Bruce Arthur is the National Post's national sports columnist. A Vancouver native, he has been with the Post since 2001, and a columnist since 2005. He is covering his second Olympics, after the 2008 Games in Beijing. He expects these Games to be slightly less propagandistic, and for China to win slightly fewer medals.
- Joe O'Connor Joe O'Connor is a roving sports feature writer with an open-ended beat. He joined the National Post in 2002, and has spent the past seven years bouncing from sport to sport, offering fresh perspectives and delivering unique stories wherever he goes. Whether it has been getting Don Cherry to open up about his love life; George Chuvalo to talk about heartbreaking loss; or racing down the side of a mountain with former Crazy Canuck, Dave Irwin, the veteran Postie chases a story wherever it leads. Before joining the newspaper he was a two-time silver medalist at the National Magazine Awards. Vancouver will be his first Olympics.
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