VANCOUVER -- A shift-by-shift look at Sidney Crosby's performance in Canada's 7-3 victory over Russia in Wednesday's Olympic quarterfinal match.Check out Alex Ovechkin's shift-by-shift.
| FIRST PERIOD (5:56 ice: 3 shots, E, 1 hit) |
| 19:04 – 18:34 (:30 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| For his first shift in one of the biggest games of his hockey career, Crosby spends time circling in the neutral zone with linemates Eric Staal and Jarome Iginla, then changes. |
| 16:50 – 15:50 (1:00 Even strength) E, 0 points 1 shot 0 hits |
| Working out of the corner, Crosby protects the puck well and gets the puck out into the middle for Staal not once, but twice. The first is a bad pass, knee-high, that somehow Staal one-times out of mid-air towards the net (just how good are these guys, really?), but neither attempt amounts too much. However, Crosby’s puck protection and passing skills are on full display early in the game. |
| 13:34 – 12:55 (:39 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| During an uneventful shift, Crosby gives the puck away to Alex Ovechkin, but the Russian superstar does little with the opportunity. |
| 12:24 – 12:02 (:22 Even strength) E, 0 points 1 shot 0 hits |
| During a quick shift, the Canadians are called for a penalty. |
| 9:45 – 8:45 (1:00 Even strength) E, 0 points 1 shot 0 hits |
| In easily his best shift of the game thus far, Crosby wins a defensive-zone faceoff. From there, Canada controls, and Crosby makes a break. He winds up with the puck, with speed, and the Russians are forced to take a penalty as he drives the net. Canada completes the play when Dan Boyle scores on the ensuing power play. Crosby won’t get an assist, but he made it all happen. |
| 7:05 – 6:07 (:58 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| After another Canadian goal makes it 3-0 Canada, Russia calls a timeout. After the break, Crosby jumps on the ice. He winds up giving the puck away to Maxim Afinogenov, but Roberto Luongo makes a good blocker save. |
| 4:16 – 3:32 (:44 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| In an uneventful shift, the highlight is a glorious Evgeni Malkin chance for Russia that Canadian defenseman Duncan Keith blocks. |
| :55 - :26 (:29 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 1 hits |
| Crosby shows the Russians, and specifically defenseman Anton Volchenkov, just how strong a punch he packs in a 5-foot-10 frame. He races for the puck with Volchenkov and knocks him flat, then digs the puck out and from his knees and makes a pass to Scott Niedermayer, who is stopped by Evgeni Nabokov. |
| End of period |
| SECOND PERIOD (5:57 ice: 0 shots, E, 0 hits) |
| 19:25 – 18:26 (:59 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Not much happens for Crosby on his first shift of the second period, but he does control the puck behind the Russian net and makes a nice pass to Drew Doughty, but no goal results. |
| 15:53 – 15:14 (:39 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Crosby escapes a minus here, as he changes for Joe Thornton before Afinogenov makes the score 6-2. Sorry, Joe. |
| 12:45 – 12:04 (:41 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Ovechkin and Crosby meet for the first time all night, and despite some good work along the boards by Crosby, Ovechkin gets his dig in. As he skates by Crosby, Ovechkin slashes him hard behind the leg, where there is no shin pad. No ref sees the clandestine slash. |
| 10:09 – 9:22 (:47 Even strength) E, 0 pints 0 shots 0 hits |
| In one of the reasons why this tournament is so compelling, superstar teammates Crosby and Malkin face-off at center ice. Crosby wins the draw -- and earns some bragging rights for when these two players return to the Pittsburgh Penguins next week. |
| 7:30 – 6:36 (:54 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| At the tail end of this shift, the Russians take a penalty and the Canadians go on the power play. |
| 6:18 – 5:01 (1:17 Power play) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| In a difficult PP for the Canadians, everyone has their difficulties as they attempt to enter the Russian zone. Crosby has a tough shift himself, as he gets his pocket-picked through the neutral zone. He changes shortly afterwards. |
| 2:20 – 1:40 (:40 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Crosby does what he does best, making an excellent pass to Doughty. Again, nothing comes of it but Crosby’s on-ice vision is clearly on display. |
| End of period |
| THIRD PERIOD (5:41 ice: 1 shots, E, 0 hits) |
| 18:51 – 18:15 (:36 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Crosby is rattled as he watches linemate Staal get crushed by Anton Volchenkov. The trainer comes out, and Staal makes it back up. He eventually returns to action, showing just how tough hockey players are. |
| 17:56 – 16:49 (1:07 Power play) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| On a power play, Crosby makes another beautiful pass, a cross-ice seeing-eye snap-pass to Iginla who redirects it into the post. But that’s as close as the Canadians would come. |
| 15:12 – 14:41 (:31 Even strength) E, 0 points 1 shot 0 hits |
| Crosby’s shot is stopped by now-Russian goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, and he changes at the end of a short shift. |
| 14:30 – 13:30 (1:00 Power play) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Crosby jumps onto the ice as the Canadians get a power play, with a unit we haven’t seen thus far. With Pronger and Niedermayer manning the point, Crosby centers a line with Corey Perry and Rick Nash. Crosby does some nice work along the boards and stealing pucks, but the Canadians are unable to capitalize. |
| 12:09 – 11:16 (:53 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Nothing much happens on this shift late in the second, but Crosby does win two more faceoffs. He has become one of Mike Babcock’s go-to guys in the circle. |
| 8:52 – 8:13 (:39 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| In another d-zone draw, Crosby wins yet another face-off. His line is beat badly by the Russians all over the ice, however, and he changes for a quick shift. |
| 5:40 – 5:23 (:17 Even strength) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Taking the draw in the d-zone on a penalty kill, Crosby wins it, Canada clears, and he rejoins his linemates on the bench. |
| 1:28 - :50 (:38 Four-on-four) E, 0 points 0 shots 0 hits |
| Crosby gets a breakout pass that turns into a semi-breakaway, and attempts to lift a backhand into the far top corner over Bryzgalov. With just a little too much speed, he lifts the puck high and wide and gets the glass behind the net. |
| End of game |
*NHL.com’s unofficial Sidney Crosby Game Total: 17:34 TOI: 0 points, 4 shots, even, 1 hit |
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