By Alan Robinson
Associated PressPITTSBURGH ó Sidney Crosby was nowhere to be found, hidden from sight before the Pittsburgh Penguins play the game that likely will tell them if they have any chance of overtaking the Detroit Red Wings and winning the Stanley Cup.
At the rink?
Sorry, no Crosby sighting there as the Penguins rested Monday after losing two games in two nights in Detroit, putting themselves into a deep, deep hole from which only one of 32 teams has previously escaped during the finals.
Doing interviews?
Nope, it was a rare Crosby-free day for reporters curious to find out if being shut out on consecutive nights frustrated or, conversely, motivated the NHL’s most visible player going into Game 3 tonight.
“Every day doesn’t need to be Sidney Crosby day,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said of keeping his captain away from probing minds.
Oh, but every day is Crosby day for the Red Wings. Their twin 3-1 victories in Detroit on Saturday and Sunday were created in part by the blanketing defense of Henrik Zetterberg, who has stayed so close to Crosby during the finals that he probably knew where Sid the Kid was hiding out during Pittsburgh’s day off.
Zetterberg went over the boards for all but one of Crosby’s shifts in Joe Louis Arena, holding him scoreless and creating some visible frustration as the Red Wings closed to within two victories of winning their fifth Stanley Cup since 1997.
Me and my shadow, indeed.
“I’ve been in different roles, different situations and this one is a pure challenge and it’s fun,” Zetterberg said.
The question is whether the fun stops once the venue changes tonight. The Penguins can make the final line change at home, and Bylsma won’t have to be as concerned with Zetterberg hitting the ice a moment after Crosby does.