Love him or hate him, there is no disputing that Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby is among the very best the game has to offer, and a certain Vegas Golden Knights rookie will have a chance to study from him up close and personal tonight.
Cody Glass has been superb for the Vegas Golden Knights eight games into his rookie season, posting two goals and tallying three assists for five points with two of those points coming on the power play.
Although he’s currently playing on the right wing on the third line, Glass is a natural pivot and he’s projected to be an elite top six two-way center in the NHL.
So, tonight will present the rookie phenom with an opportunity to study and learn from one of the best players to have ever played the game when the Golden Knights face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins (4:00 p.m. PT).
We are of course talking about Sidney Crosby who will go down as one of the greatest players in the rich tapestry of the NHL and, even at 32-years-old, the center still manages to produce moments of magic that leaves us all baffled.
Boasting ridiculous hand-eye coordination, Crosby is still one of the best players in the NHL currently and his importance to the Penguins can’t be understated.
Take this season for instance. With Evgeni Malkin (lower body), Bryan Rust (upper body), Nick Bjugstad (lower body) and Alex Galchenyuk (lower body) all out through injury, Crosby has hauled this Pittsburgh team on his back.
Through eight games, the star has four goals and eight assists for 12 points and he’s been a driving force behind the Penguins’ five-game winning streak.
He can conjure something out of nothing and he’s able to drive his team forward no matter what the situation is.
With a career 51.9 winning percentage in the faceoff circle and 450 goals and 778 assists for 1,228 points in 951 NHL career regular season games, Crosby is a shining example to any young forward trying to cut their teeth in the NHL.
So, as a result, Glass should be making the most of his time on the bench between shifts tonight, studying every single move Crosby makes with and without the puck.
And, although he has improved in the faceoff circle of late, Glass has struggled overall when it comes to winning draws so he should pay special attention to Crosby’s work in that situation.
Just the way Crosby carries himself is impressive and Glass should be soaking up every single aspect of the veteran’s game tonight.
It is essential to have a role model you can look up to and base your game on, and there is no better than Crosby who has carved out one hell of a career on the ice, while he never hits the headlines for the wrong reasons off it.
Glass is in the infancy of his NHL career and, if all goes to plan, he will morph into a franchise center for the Vegas Golden Knights and, who knows, he could even become a true leader for the Knights.
So, as a result, Cody Glass would do well to keep tabs on Sidney Crosby’s every move tonight and pay close attention to what goes into making one of the greatest centers to have ever played the game in order to help his own career going forward.