All-Star Matchups on Deck for February

After Pittsburgh's bye week began, Sidney Crosby headed to Florida, vacationing there for a bit before driving over to attend the All-Star festivities in Sunrise and Fort Lauderdale.
After the Metro Division got eliminated from the tournament on Saturday, the captain flew back home, ready to get back to work with the Penguins as they resume their battle for a playoff spot.

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Feb. 7 vs. COL
Feb. 23 vs. EDM
"I'm excited to get back at it," Crosby said. "It's nice to get a few days away. Obviously, this weekend is a little busier, and then we've got a couple days to prepare for our next game. It's a big stretch run for a lot of teams, including us, and I'm excited for that."
That stretch run will include two marquee matchups against a couple of Crosby's fellow All-Stars at PPG Paints Arena, starting when Nathan MacKinnon and the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche come to town on Tuesday.
Talking with MacKinnon's teammates this past weekend about what stands out to them in regards to the matchup, both Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar mentioned how unique it is that both Nate and Sid are from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.
"It's fun that they're from pretty much the same city. Two greats of hockey from the same spot, so that's pretty cool," said Rantanen, who managed to successfully send Crosby into the dunk tank during the Splash Shot competition. "Usually, we have really good matchups against them every time we play them, so I'm looking forward to it."
Crosby and MacKinnon have such a great relationship. Despite being eight years apart and having different personalities - Nate can be more extroverted, while Sid can be more introverted - they get along so well. The two of them genuinely enjoy each other's company and spend a lot of time together, especially when they're back home in the summer, training and hanging out together.
MacKinnon helps keep Sid young, while Crosby shares his knowledge and experience with Nate, who said he went to the Penguins captain for advice during the Final … and took having a room number with "87" in it as a good sign.
"He's a pretty famous guy, but he is just my friend," MacKinnon said. "Just a good person to be around, a fun guy to be around."
But what sets players of their caliber apart is, as Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan would put it, their "insatiable appetite" to be the best. So while they'll probably get dinner together in Pittsburgh like they did in Florida, once the puck drops, Crosby and MacKinnon truly do want to beat each other so badly.
"They're both really competitive guys, and it's fun. It's fun to play against really good players, just for myself looking at that," said Makar, who won the Norris Trophy last season as the league's best defenseman. "I know Nate gets up for those games for sure, obviously two boys from the same hometown. So yeah, it's cool."
Later in the month, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will travel to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins on Thursday, Feb. 23. Being in separate conferences, the two generational talents only get to face each other twice a year, so it's one that gets circled on the calendar every season.
"It's always exciting. Obviously, the media and a lot of people make a big deal out of it. Rightfully so, as they should," Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl said. "So, it's always a lot of fun when those two go head-to-head."
Edmonton's starting goaltender Stuart Skinner, coming off of his first All-Star appearance, particularly likes seeing Crosby and McDavid line up for the opening faceoff.
"The first time I saw that, I was on the bench and it was the first time I got to see Crosby on the ice," Skinner said. "It was just kind of something that you look at and you're like, wow, this is pretty cool that I get to see this. So yeah, it's obviously great players kind of going at it and competing against each other. It's just amazing that you see two unbelievable players go head-to-head. That's a lot of fun to watch."
Every sport has athletes who are worth the price of admission just on their own, for the opportunity to see their incredible skillsets up close. Crosby has always been one, and McDavid is another. Even Sid himself can't help but marvel at the way Connor makes complete domination of the league look so easy.
"Every year, he just finds a way to get better," Crosby said. "He's just… he's dominating. It's scary to think about, you know? He has a year and you think okay, it's going to be hard to beat. Then he comes out this year and does the same thing, and he's better. So I think that's the main thing. As any player, that's what you want. But when it's a guy like that, it's scary."
If McDavid had done the Fastest Skater competition at NHL All-Star Skills, he would've won easily. Instead, he did the Accuracy Shooting - and dismantled the targets in just a few seconds flat. That, paired with McDavid's growing experience and knowledge of his opponents, is what stands out to Crosby when watching him.
And what stands out to McDavid about Crosby is how he tries to improve with each passing year, even at age 35. That's what's helped Crosby capture the Stanley Cup, a trophy that's eluded McDavid thus far, three times … and hopefully counting.
"Winning is what motivates me, and I think just trying to learn and get better," Crosby said. "That can be different things, and within the season, that could be adjustments or whatever it is. But I think just the passion and trying to learn as much as possible is always my mindset."