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Crosby changing for the better

March 20, 2009 03:12 AM | Posted by   Elliotte Friedman  

Quietly, very quietly, something significant is happening in Pittsburgh. It's not getting as much league-wide attention as Bylsma's March of the Penguins or Evgeni Malkin's charge towards the Hart.

It's the change in Sidney Crosby.

Crosby 2.0 is coming. It's about time. And it's going to make him an even better player.

I've long had a theory about the Penguins captain: Against his own wishes, he's too often the person others want him to be, not the person he wants to be.

Since his exceptional hockey talent was discovered, Crosby's been programmed to say or do nothing remotely controversial. Keep your real opinions to yourself. Speak in cliches. Don't do anything to hurt 'the brand.'

The 'real' Crosby emerging

Not so far beneath the surface, however, is a very funny, very perceptive guy. There is also a guy with a real edge. In my limited exposure to him, he hasn't shown those qualities too often, but I've really enjoyed watching/listening during those moments when the guard does drop.

This year, things are changing. There have been several major disappointments: The Stanley Cup defeat; the stunning defection of Marian Hossa; and the team's comatose play over the first 58 games.

There have been minor annoyances: The pacifiers in Washington; the (deserved) fawning over Alexander Ovechkin; and the regular complaints about Crosby's on-ice yakking.

We'd seen unusual flashes of his anger: On Dec. 18, a furious Crosby punched Atlanta's Boris Valabik in a very sensitive place. The Penguins captain felt his knee twist dangerously seconds earlier when Valabik pulled him down, and temporarily lost it; On Jan. 3, he jumped Brett McLean during a 6-1 loss to Florida.

For both incidents, he was criticized heavily, and I can understand why. However, I couldn't help but wonder if we were beginning to see a change. And then came a huge slap in the face.

All-star snub?

Crosby wouldn't discuss it when I asked him about it, but several sources say he was upset at the way he was treated during NHL all-star weekend. You'll remember, he was injured and unable to compete. He understood the marketing responsibility of attending, but asked if it would be possible to arrive on Saturday – the day of the skills competition - instead of media day Friday. He promised to do everything the league asked of him.

The request? Denied. He was told show up Friday or be suspended, just like Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk.

Now, there's been a boatload of debate about this already, and I'm not really interested in revisiting it, but I get the sense Crosby was thinking, "I do everything this league asks of me. I do a billion photo shoots, a million media sessions, a thousand sponsor meet-and-greets. And this is how I great treated? Why do I bother?"

Crosby's never going to turn into a pre-therapy Sean Avery. But last Sunday proved there is no doubt he's decided to do things his way.

Some time during the first period of Pittsburgh's 6-4 win over the Bruins, Crosby jawed with Marc Savard. Savard declined to discuss it with reporters in Boston. But according to Pittsburgh radio station WXDX, which also had an interview with Chris Kunitz discussing the incident, there was a challenge to fight if Crosby removed his visor - and No. 87 did it. There are in-game photos of him without one.

Crosby later said there was "a scratch." Suuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrre.

Sans visor, Crosby offered to fight, an offer that was rejected. The visor reappeared for the start of the second period. There is absolutely no way, no way at all he does anything like that before this season. It's something he would never, ever have considered doing. I know he'll get ripped for it because of the fighting debate, but let's just forget about that for a second.

Brodeur, Iginla's examples

Two of the nicest people in the NHL are Martin Brodeur and Jarome Iginla. They are friendly. They are successful. But they don't let anyone else make their choices for them. They don't let any outside interests or concerns determine what they're like on the ice. No one anywhere faults them for that.

You can be a great guy - and a fierce competitor. At times, Crosby's worries about perception affected his play and, like Brodeur and Iginla, he's moving past that.

There are several reasons for Crosby to be happier. The Penguins are rising up the standings. He's got better linemates. But the most important thing is that he's taking control of his world. From now on, he's going to do it his way. Good for him.

It's going to make him even greater.

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