That’s Crosby.
The 37-year-old center had won the gold medal with Canada at the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship in North Dakota and Minnesota, the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2015 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. He was captain when Canada won the World Cup of Hockey 2016 in Toronto.
Then, Saturday happened. Sullivan and the United States won 3-1 against Canada at Bell Centre in Montreal. It was Crosby’s first international loss since Feb. 21, 2010, a 5-3 win for the United States in the group stage of the Vancouver Olympics.
Malkin wasn’t surprised by Sullivan’s success. Why?
"Because he loves hockey, you know?” Malkin said. “We know he cares about the team. He cares about every player. I think, 6 or 7 a.m. every day, he's in the office, you know? He watches video and he talks to other coaches. He tries to control everything. He loves hockey so much.”
Same goes for Crosby. Jason Spezza, Penguins assistant general manager, knows from playing together in the World Hockey Championship in 2015.
"He's the best,” Spezza said. “I always say when you're around Sid as a fellow teammate or player, you want to be at your best because you don't want to let him down because you know he's going to be at his best. I think it's a special quality he has that not many people I've been around have. So am I surprised? No. In a way, yes, because he always finds a way to surprise you and score in the big times and have the big moments.
“I'm sure he's really enjoying this. It's a bunch of younger guys that he hasn't played with, with just the nature of best-on-best for a long time. So I'm sure they're all soaking it in and he just wants to be one of the guys. But when you're around Sid in these tournaments, or even just day to day as you guys see, he's a special person and an extra special player."
Then, again, there’s Sullivan. At 398-244-86 in 10 seasons, he's Pittsburgh's most successful and longest-tenured coach.
When Sullivan was hired, Malkin was 29 years old. Now 38, he has solidified a Hall of Fame career under this coach.
If you’re Malkin, how do you root against that?
“He deserves everything,” Malkin said. “He's won two Cups. Maybe win tomorrow and represent his country. Good luck to him, for sure. ... America [has] a great team too. This is, like, probably the best teams right now. Good luck (to) both tomorrow."
Still, only one can win. Crosby or Sullivan. What’s it going to be?
“But I think Canada wins tomorrow,” Malkin said, “I think it's my choice."
